


021 - The Hunt Begins

by sinfuldesire_archivist



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Alternate Universe, Angst, Drama, Established Relationship, Kinks, M/M, Threesome
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-09-16
Updated: 2012-11-08
Packaged: 2018-09-06 19:54:19
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 6
Words: 25,151
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8766787
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sinfuldesire_archivist/pseuds/sinfuldesire_archivist
Summary: Once again into the breech dear friends. When I was a kid we used to get up on Saturday morning to catch the cartoons plus the weekly serial shows. "Flash Gordon" comes to mind, it was cliffhanger series. That is sort of what I've turned the lives of Dean and Sam into with the addition of a miscreant angel, Theo. This time however the hunters become the hunted as the search is on for would-be assassins. The time is right, there's a lot to be done,and a lot to cope with, let's join the story in progress and see how they're fairing.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Note from the Sinful Desire archivists: this story was originally archived at [Sinful-Desire.org](http://fanlore.org/wiki/Sinful_Desire). To preserve the archive, we began importing its works to the AO3 as an Open Doors-approved project in November 2016. We e-mailed all creators about the move and posted announcements, but may not have reached everyone. If you are (or know) this creator, please contact us using the e-mail address on [Sinful Desire collection profile](http://archiveofourown.org/collections/sinfuldesire/profile).

  
Author's notes: Authors Note: This is episode 21 in the Sam, Dean and Theo stories, if you are new to this a little background info is in order. Basically Theo was an Angel on parole and his parole officers were Sam and Dean, they were also his penance. If you’re curious now about how this came about go back and read “Tremors” that way you can at least get some background story information on Theo. If the archives no longer have this story and you’re interested please email me and I’ll send a copy. By the way for those who haven’t read my earlier work, I do have God himself popping in from time to time, the near apocalypse basically warned him that he’d been a bit focused in other direction than in keeping an eye on the worlds smaller frame of people. And to get a mental image of God, I usually describe him a nattily dressed, mussed haired young man, someone who would fit in a crowd; actually he would stand out because I picture him as the Doctor in Dr. Who with David Tennant as the Doctor. ;^) Hope you enjoy.  


* * *

Story: 

It was winter now; the snows was crisp and clean over the earth in their little part of Idaho, but on a certain spot in the back yard, in a little circle around a rose bush no snow gathered. Dean was standing at the sink filling the coffee pot and preparing to make the first pot of the morning when his eye caught the site and he immediately had to look away, it had been six months but the emotions that were part of that plot of earth were as raw now as then, it only needed a little impetus to set them off. 

Pouring the water into the reservoir of the coffeemaker he proceeded to scoop out some of his favourite coffee, plain old Maxwell House, he put a heaping scoop into the filter then added a pinch of salt, his own special ingredient. Closing the basket he started the water heating. He felt warm hands encircle his waist and he leaned his head back to meet the forehead of the one he knew liked to do this kind of wake up call. 

 

“Morning baby bear.”

 

“Papa bear…” He paused and looked out seeing what caught Dean’s attention. He leaned forward then nuzzling his lover’s neck. After a long moment they broke and he turned his attention on Dean, “You’re up early.”

 

“Got my nap in.” Dean said leaning his forehead against Theo’s. 

 

“You slept all night.” Another voice said from the hallway. Dean looked up to see Sam entering the kitchen now. 

 

“Yeah, the Verinol is helping. My dreams aren’t near as vivid as they used to be.” 

 

Their repose was interrupted by a knock at the back door. They opened it to see Crowley standing there looking nonplussed at being exposed to the cold. Dean bent down and lifted the mat from the door and moved it out of the way and let him enter.

 

“I’ll make this quick mates. One of the marksmen has been spotted up in Portland, Oregon. In a suburb south of the city proper.”

 

“Thanks.” Dean said soberly. He pointed to the pot, “Care for a cup?” 

 

“Normally I would but there is work to be done patching up this bullshit that Azazel pulled. However, I owe you boys some thanks this has pretty much cemented my place in the niche of “King of Hell.”” Crowley said with pride.

 

Sam smirked, “Hardly our work went into that.”

 

“Hey, I’m sorry about your mate Bill out there, that wasn’t my idea. I have no vendetta against angels as long as they carry no vendetta against me.” He shook his head, “You lads have been moping about for 6 months now, it’s time to let go and get on with life. It’s too short as it is.”

 

Dean nodded, “You’re right we should let go, but it’s a little hard to, especially knowing what he know.”

 

“Yeah and you’ve brought down two of the shooters that only leaves 10 more. Happy hunting kiddies. Ta.” And he was gone. Sam shut the door and replaced the mat onto which had been etched a devils trap.

 

“Well at least this time we don’t have to drive cross country. Just across state.” Sam said with a grin. 

 

Then a rumble filled the air like the sound of a jet passing overhead and at the same moment Michael materialized in their kitchen with them. 

 

“Adam.” Dean said with a grin.

 

“Dean, Sam, Theo glad to see you all up and awake. I heard about the hunt you’re on, it’s bad enough you having to hunt now anyway, but well, I thought this might help.” He gave each of them a coin. It was rough minted gold with the image of a flaming sword on one side and a rooster on the other with some scribbling of an arcane sort on each side. “Some of my own marker coins, the bearer is protected from harm. It may seem unfair but these people who are targeting angels are hardly being fair either.”

 

“So is there any word on Bill and Charlie?” Sam asked.

 

Michael smiled, “You mean Hammael and Cassiel? No, God is not pleased with having any of his angels killed, but he is judicious in resurrecting them as well.”

 

Sam nodded his understanding. Then he turned to the coffee pot to pour, “Can you stay for a cup?”

 

Michael smiled and nodded, “For a change of pace I do happen to have some free time accumulated and I would very much like to…well let me let Adam say what I’m trying.” 

 

The archangel’s eyes defocused for a moment then refocused and the demeanor and talk was that of a younger man. “What he’s trying to say is that he would like to hang out with you guys for a while. Michael has had way little actual contact with humans in a one to one fashion so he’s still learning how to interact with them.”

 

“How’s it going for you?” Dean asked.

 

“Great I’m having a ball.” Adam said then, “Oops, Michael wants charge again. See ya.” The defocus and refocus happened again. “I think that’s one of the things I like best about Adam, he is very energetic and he has to be to keep up with my schedule.” Sam offered him a mug of coffee. 

 

“So we’ve got a heads up about a possible rifleman in Oregon. We’re going to leave to check that out this afternoon.”

 

“Good, it’s about time you caught some breaks regarding these characters.” He sipped at the coffee then looked at Dean. “What’s your take on them?”

 

“Amateurs, they’re just in the game for a one shot deal. They think that hunting angels is a hoot. Most of what we’ve seen so far out of the two we’ve tracked is that they are way over confident.”

 

“Theo?”

 

“I’m with Dean on this, the one we bagged in Tennessee was a dead ringer giveaway, he fundamentalist Satanist to start with, plus he was sure that his kills would get him some big perks in hell. We had to open his eyes to what Hell was really like.”

 

Michael grinned a bit now, “I take it you made an impression.”

 

Theo grinned in return. “Oh yeah, scared straight. And yes we confiscated his round, that plus the ones from the hunt we had in Massachusetts brings the total to 18 rounds recovered, well 26 rounds counting what we got from that dick that shot Bill.”

 

“Excellent. Good work guys, I know it seems hardly fair for anything to be asked of you and we try to keep our requests to a minimum.” 

 

Sam started a second pot of coffee; he knew they were going to need it. He looked out in the back yard again. Then in a small voice, “It’s a shame really.” 

 

Michael looked up, “What’s that?” 

 

“That angels don’t have souls.”

 

Michael laughed a bit, “We are part of God’s memory and an extension of His power. We don’t need to be burdened with a soul.”

 

“Burdened? Is that how you look at it?” Dean asked curiously. 

 

“That’s how some of us look at it. Me, a soul is an interesting commodity but it can be distracting.” Then he drained the last of his coffee and stood. “This has been a rare treat; I hope to be able to do this again.”

 

“So do we.” Theo said smiling. Michael stood waved and was gone. They looked around then Sam nodded towards the stove. 

 

“We got a choice I can fix breakfast for us, or we can load up and catch a bite on the way out of town.”

 

Theo raised his hand, “I vote for the latter. Love your cooking mama bear, but well, I want to bag as many of these motherfuckers as we can get.”

 

Dean nodded, “This is a simple enough run, let’s do it.” They went in and packed up their duffels with a couple of day’s worth of clothes and then loaded up Theo’s Shelby at his request.

 

“We seldom take her out any more, she needs a chance to open up and run for a while.” Theo argued. 

 

“Okay, let’s just get this hunt over with, man that would be a great Christmas gift, to bag three more of these bastards.” 

 

“Ambitious aren’t we?” Sam said.

 

Dean looked at him levelly, “I want each one of these sorry pricks to feel the sting of what they are doing.”

 

Theo looked at him appraisingly for a moment then smirked, “Not feeling at all vindictive are we?”

 

Dean scowled to no one in particular as he replied. “I’m feeling very vindictive after having planted Bill because of these shits.”

 

Theo nodded sober now, “I know Dean, I was there too. So yeah the avenging side of this angel wants to see them groveling just for permission to breathe.”

 

“Didn’t know that you were allowed to be angry.” Sam said looking up for a moment.

 

“Oh righteous anger is almost a class in and of itself.” Theo said with an evil grin. “Come on we’re burning daylight.”

 

Brunch was had and they were soon on the road heading through Northern Idaho towards Oregon. Dean sat back thinking and plotting as he drove. 

 

“Theo, is there a possibility that you could maybe get a closer look in on where exactly we’re looking at this shooter being located?” 

 

“Dean, we’re not going to put him to risk.” Sam said coolly.

 

“Sam, it’s okay, I’m wearing my Kevlar, if they wing me that’s cool, and I can deal with that, it’s just a heart or head shot that’ll kill. And something tells me the rest of these yokels are less talented that the guy who nailed Bill.” Theo said, and then sat back in thought for the moment, “I’ll take a look; get in close as safely possible. But I’ll be careful I promise.” With that he vanished. 

 

“Theo!” Sam blurted. “Damn! We should have all been in on this.” 

 

“I know but he has a better chance of seeing and reporting back than Bill did, he’s got a lot more years under his belt as a hunter.”

 

“And that means that a hunter is invulnerable?” Sam said heatedly.

 

Dean shook his head, “Don’t get your panties in such a twist, it took me a long time to get up the courage to ask him to do that.”

 

They drove in silence for several more miles until at last they heard a pop of air and a panting Theo appeared in the back seat. He was pale as a sheet and bleeding out of his right arm. Dean gassed up and took the next exit while Sam leaned over the seat trying to stop the blood flow. 

Once pulled off the main road, Sam immediately got into the back seat where he was able to look at the wound.

 

“A through and through thankfully.” Sam said putting pressure on the wound while Dean prepared a field dressing from their supplies. 

 

“Found em. There are three of them holed up in a house in Beaverton, Fairmount drive. They’re not going anywhere anytime soon.”

 

“How can you be so sure?” Dean asked then his eyes narrowed. “What did you do?”

 

“Fused the locks to the doors and windows also wrapped the house in a bubble of air. They can try to break out the windows but they’ll just be hammering glass that ain’t gonna break.” Theo said with a smile.

 

“What else, I know that’s not all.” Sam asked.

 

“Oh yeah, Michael showed up on the scene and was about to take them out when I pointed out that you have dibs on the shooting of the bastards. He reluctantly agreed and said that he would stand watch. He did cut lines of communication into and out of the house as well. We got them pinned down good.” 

 

Dean shook his head a moment as he applied the dressing to the now clotted wound. “There is just no way we can be this lucky.” 

 

“Well they can try to shoot their way out.” Sam offered.

 

“Not necessarily.” Theo said grinning through the pain. “See it’s kind of like bullet proof glass, at that range shooting the stuff will be like playing Russian roulette with all chambers loaded.”

 

Theo lay back against Sam as the dressing was cinched down. Sam got him to prop up a moment to get his shirt off of him which they burnt. Then grabbed another of his shirts from the back he was dressed and laid out on the back seat. 

 

“Try to get some rest.” Dean ordered. “Wait,” He had parked in the parking lot of a convenience store to the side where they’d be out of view. He got out of the car and ran into the store and came back out shortly after with a sack. Passing a bottle back to Theo, “Drink, you’ll need to replace fluids to help get your blood loss checked.” 

 

Theo gratefully cracked open the bottle of Gatorade and drank deeply. Now that he was tended, Dean cranked up, put the car in gear and got back onto the interstate. Once across the state line he grabbed up highway 20 and put his foot to the floor, they stopped a couple of times for Sam to check the dressing, and make sure he wasn’t bleeding through. When finally Theo sat up and pulled his arm out of the shirt and stripped off the dressing, the bullet hole was gone, only a slight dimpling to mark where he’d been shot. They threw the dressing away and continued on with Theo alternately sitting and lying down. It was into the late afternoon, early evening that they had pulled into Bend, they wasted no time but found Fairmount Drive and the house was easy enough to find, it was a house currently lit by the various emergency vehicles that were trying to put out the blaze. 

 

“Aw shit.” Dean voiced as they pulled up to the police picket.

 

“Sir, you’ll have to turn around, there is no outlet here and that’s a pretty bad fire we got going on up there.”

 

Dean fished out a card and presented it to the police officer identifying him as The Rev. Dean Winters. “Was there anyone hurt in the blaze?” He asked.

 

“We just got the fire under control. You’d have to talk with the lead firemen about that.” The officer said politely.

 

“May we, after all I’d like to offer last rites if there any survivors are critical, and comfort to those who may just be injured.” Dean said.

 

“I’m sorry Reverend; I just can’t let you through.” Suddenly his radio crackled to life. He listened a moment and then nodded. “You don’t have to worry about last rites or anything; we found three bodies in the blaze. It would appear that they fired off a gun too close to the gas hook up for the fireplace. Can’t understand why they just didn’t force the door and escape that way.” He shook his head. “Well they got it under control you can go through now if you like, just be careful and watch for the hoses.”

 

“Thank you officer you’ve been most helpful.” Dean said politely in return. They drove down the street then took a side street after seeing the leveled building. “That means the crime lab will probably be called in on this, or at least the fire marshal. If they find the bullets…” Theo’s eyes defocused for a moment and he went limp.

 

“Theo!” Sam barked. Then the young man sat back up and looked around startled. 

 

“What happened!?” He barked.

 

“Easy Theo. It’s gonna be okay?”

 

“Theo!? I’m William, William Reece. Where’s…what happened?” Then his eyes defocused again and he blinked. “Sorry about that guys, I shot into a fireman real quick and surveyed the area, found two of the three clips and pocketed them, got that address information as well on the fireman, so we can pay him a visit this evening.” Theo said looking more depressed than ever.

 

“Hey man, what’s wrong?” Sam asked.

 

“Just such a waste, if they’d not panicked we could’ve been in and out with the bullets in tow and they’d just be put down temporary. Nothing this final.”

 

“Theo they made their own bed.” Sam said.

 

“Yeah but I was the one that basically locked them into the house. It’s my fault that they panicked like that.”

 

“Man if you hadn’t of locked them in there is a good chance they would have blown cover and run for it. Then we’d be in an even worse shape than we are now.” Dean noted.

 

“Doesn’t make the guilt go away?” Theo said remorsefully.

 

Sam looked at him, “No but you and I both know that in a hunt you can’t always walk away with a happy ending.”

 

Theo sighed and sat back, “Should’ve been some other way.”

 

“Well we’re down to seven shooters.” Sam commented. “That’s better, but still not the best. And we can’t afford to continue hunting them if you’re going to end up getting hurt on the hunts.” Sam said to Theo who actually looked hurt for a moment.

 

“Hey that’s part of the hunt.” Theo said his brow furrowed. “I’m sorry that you see it that way but that is part of the hunt.”

 

“I’m sorry Theo; you’re just too valuable to us for us to waste you on such. I guess I’m obsessive that way, I don’t want to risk you.”

 

“That’s sweet Sam, but there are hunts and times when you’ve risked me before.” Theo pointed out.

 

“Yeah, but the shooters weren’t firing bullets that could kill you either.” Sam returned.

 

“Good point.” 

 

They drove on in silence until Dean saw a hotel in the distance. He pulled up and booked them a room, after getting their bags and themselves settled Dean turned on Theo.

 

“Sam’s right. You’re too valuable an asset to risk like that. Plus I’ve kinda grown attached to you. So in the future we take it a little more cautious, okay?”

 

“Okay man. Sure.” Theo said his voice betraying his hurt. 

 

“Hey no pouting dude, you did a bang up job on this, and you put yourself in harm’s way something serious. We want to keep you alive a while longer.” Dean said getting a bit brusque with him.

 

They sat around looking at one another until at last Sam got up restless and dug out his laptop. He started keying in some parameters into the search engine and came up with a little data, then he started sifting what he did find. He was amazed in some ways to find out that there was available data on the net regarding these shooters. They were going under the name “Angel Warriors” as if that wasn’t pointed enough, they also were scattered across the Midwest and into the South. He also found out that they were a growing group of vigilantes and that the state police was on the lookout for them. There were comparisons to them and the Earth Liberation Front as both being homegrown terrorist organizations. Theo sat on the bed massaging his wounded arm a bit and then he lay down. Concerned Dean bent over him checking his arm out as well.

 

“I’ll be all right, just a bit tired.” He told Dean.

 

“Theo,” Dean sat on the beds edge. “I know we stepped on your toes with those comments. It’s just you are more than an angel to us. You are a friend and lover; I wouldn’t want to risk Sam under those circumstances much less you.”

 

Theo nodded his head soberly. “But you have to give me credit and let me choose when and where to act as well. I’ve been a hunter long enough to know when the call is good to go into a situation.”

 

Dean nodded, “Okay, I can accept that as long as you report in if the situation is a bit too hairy then we can all make the decision on how to approach this, okay.” 

 

“Sure.” Theo agreed with a slight smile on his face. 

 

Sam looked up and shook his head sadly, “We got a hell of a hunt on our hands guys, and it seems that these shooters have got organized in a short time. They have formed cells across the country where they’re training killers. The Feds are on the lookout for them and are concerned as well, but they don’t know what they’re looking at.” Then Sam laid out the gist of the information he’d gleaned and was glad to see that they were paying especially close attention to what he was saying. 

 

He knew the data he harvested would be of interest but he also knew that it would also be a pain in the ass. Especially considering that now the groups that formed made it that much more difficult to find the shooters. Thankfully they noted that there was no further word from Castiel or Crowley about the possible addition of more of the angel killer rounds into circulation. 

 

“Just to let you know, the fireman is expecting me to come around to the station this afternoon and collect those bullets. He doesn’t know you two from Adam, so I’ll go do that myself a little later okay?”

 

“Sure, Theo sounds like good plan.”

 

Then there was a shift in the room’s atmosphere for a moment and Michael appeared. “Well, that was an unexpected twist in the situation.”

 

“Yeah, my bad.” Theo admitted. 

 

Michael looked at him a moment and nodded. “Yes, you made a bad call and pinned those shooters down too good, however, the alternative would have been for you to have taken them on directly and that would put you in an even tougher spot.” Then Michael looked at the others, “learn from it.” 

 

“Well we know you didn’t just pop in to ream us a new one.” Sam said tartly.

 

Michael gave his a momentary look. “No reaming intended, the facts are plain, you screwed up and you have that mark against you if you will. However, you’re in good company another hunter and crew down in Mississippi tracked down one other shooter and let him escape because they had a momentary attack of conscience.”

 

“You mean they were going to be … merciful?” Dean said.

 

Michael nodded again, “Yes, they confronted him and demanded his clip. He panicked, fired on the group then popped a smoke grenade and disappeared.”

 

“Great. So we’re down to 7 shooters, what I’m curious about though is that one of those stakes measures what about two feet in length, and they’re about one inch in diameter, excluding the taper to the point. That means that there should have been a hell of a lot more than just 12 shooters times 9 bullets, 98 bullets.” Dean mentioned.

 

Michael nodded yet again, “You’ve voiced exactly what a lot of our folk are concerned about, and technically they should have been able to get over 200 bullets out of one stake.”

 

“Somebody is sitting on a cache of ammunition out there.” Sam said looking troubled.

 

“Which means our work is just really starting.” Theo mentioned. 

 

Michael looked around the room a moment then settled on Theo, “You and me outside now.”

 

“Yes sir.” Theo said looking tense.

 

He got just past Michael when the archangel reached up and grabbed Theo by the neck, “Move faster boy.”

 

“Sir.” Theo said double timing his step. Dean started to intervene by Sam grabbed his forearm and shook his head furiously. The door closed behind them, leaving Dean and Sam to wonder just what exactly was going on. 

 

“I was hoping that the reaming we got earlier would have been the extent of what was going to be coming down the pike.” Dean voiced.

 

Sam shook his head, “Looks like there are some that take what Theo did very seriously.”

 

Outside Theo was marched down the path and out in the side lot of the motel. He finally was released after tripping on a root. He fell sprawling in the dirt spinning he looked up at Michael with mixed emotions. 

 

“Boy, do you have any idea what problems you’ve caused because of your wreckless behavior?”

 

“I’ve got a pretty good idea.” Theo answered.

 

“I don’t think you do. Let me put it in perspective for you.” Michael starting ticking off points with his fingers. “You were to go on reconnaissance only according that the orders that I overheard. You were to look, spot, and report back, that is the essence of recon. But instead you get there and after spotting their hideout you fused the locks, created a barrier around the house, and reorganized the basic structure of the glass in the windows. Then you left to report your findings. The three shooters in the mean time panicked, tried to shoot their way out of the house, and had one bullet ricochet and strike a gas pipe starting the fire. Because they were in a house that was bubble wrapped and lock fused, they were in a death trap. You completely took away their chances of exercising free will.”

 

“They had the opportunity to commit suicide.” Theo said sourly.

 

“BOY, THE LAST THING YOU NEED TO BE RIGHT NOW, IS FLIPPANT WITH ME!” Michael roared. “You are walking a very, very thin line and you better keep this mistake in the foremost of your consciousness so that in future when you are given specific orders you follow those orders. It doesn’t matter if they are given by me, another angel, or your paramours back there. The fact that your actions terminated three shooters is the only saving grace at this point. I expect you to use your common sense when acting, and I expect you to use some initiative, I do not expect you to endanger yourself or others in the execution of your plans.”

 

“Excuse me a moment, but that is the essence of what a hunter does, that’s what I’ve done the last 20 years.”

 

Now Michael was tired of arguing and he sighed, “Yes, this is true, but the stakes were never this high. We need to approach this war with subtlety not some bravado laced theatrics.” He waved absently at the sprawled angel, “Brush yourself off and stand up. You look pathetic down there in the dirt.”

 

“You mean I get to keep my wings?” Theo asked totally serious.

 

“Of course, but you are being groomed to be my assistant one day and I don’t tolerate failures well.”

 

“Your assistant?” Theo asked.

 

“I didn’t stutter.” Michael said looking into the distance.

 

“I’m sorry I didn’t mean to imply.”

 

Michael reached out and grabbed Theo by the bicep. “Boy if you want to be my assistant you better grow a set. I expect you to be straightforward with me, but don’t blow smoke up my ass and don’t apologize all over the place. I don’t have time to have to listen to you try to say I fucked up in 40 words. Just say ‘I fucked up.’ I won’t hold it against you but I will hold you accountable.”


	2. Chapter 2

“Yes sir.” Theo responded. “It there anything else?”

 

“Right now, no, you’ve lucked out seemingly and fortunate for you just don’t make me repeat this performance, I won’t be as kind twice in a row.”

 

“Understood sir.”

 

“Good, now get your ass back in there and be the good angel.”

 

“Sir?”

 

“Don’t sulk, don’t whine, just grab yourself by the balls and go on with it.”

 

“Yes sir.” Theo said smartly. 

 

In the room Dean was pacing slightly while Sam sat on the bed trying to do some research but found that his attention was constantly drawn to the room’s door. After about ten minutes Dean walked over to the door about to leave when the door opened and Michael along with Theo reentered the room. 

 

“Well he’s still in one piece.” Sam said quietly.

 

Michael nodded, “Yeah I barked more than I bit, but Theo is aware of several things now that are pertinent to the near future.”

 

Dean looked at him, “Anything we need to know about?” 

 

“If there was I would have addressed him in here. Remember what I told you Theo.”

 

“I’m not likely to forget it anytime soon.” 

 

“Good.” And with a rush of wings Michael was gone leaving a disheveled and breathless Theo sitting on the other bed. Sam put his laptop aside as Dean came over next to him. 

 

“You okay?” Dean asked.

 

“Yeah, I just had my mistakes pointed out to me was all?” Theo said brushing off the dirt from his jeans.

 

“You gonna be okay though?” Sam asked concerned.

 

“Yeah, really, it’s gonna be fine, I just fucked up big time and was called on the carpet about it.” Then he started shivering slightly. “Just one question, how do you grow a set of balls when you’ve had to deal with some of the shit we’ve been through?”

 

“I figured you already had a big enough set.” Dean commented.

 

“You’d think, but I’ve been told to grow a set to help me deal with angels of Michael stature.” 

 

Dean’s eyes widened and his shook his head. “You got me there kiddo.”

 

“And apparently I talk too much and think too little.” 

 

“Excuse me.” Sam said bridling, “Michael accused you of that?”

Theo nodded numbly. 

 

Sam got up and stretched and then looked at his watch. “When are you supposed to go pick up those clips?” 

 

 

“Oh shit! In all the confusion I forgot about them.” Theo said alarmed, he checked his watch and hurriedly left the room. In the time he was gone Sam had correlated quite a bit of data from some of his lesser known resources. At the same time he started plotting out their next move. Dean finally settled down and sat on the bed across from Sam. 

 

“So you found out anything that’s going to point us in the next direction?”

 

“Tuckahoe Virginia.” Sam said firmly. “The police blotter there shows where four members of the Angel Warriors were picked up in that vicinity. So yeah, I’d place good money that Tuckahoe is going to be a good stop.”

 

“Okay let’s check this out.” Dean said getting up and sitting on the bed next to Sam and they started going through the data he managed to pull up. They were about 30 minutes into the reading when the door opened and Theo came in brandishing three clips of ammunition. Sam looked up and gave him a thumbs up. Theo grinned and stowed the clips in his duffle bag.

 

“Do we have a location for our next stop?” Theo asked.

 

“Tuckahoe Virginia looks like the most likely place to find the next one.” Sam said looking at his laptop again.

 

“I’m still trying to get over finding three in one place. You want me to go check it out?”

 

“Yeah, nothing major just eyeballs.” 

 

“Don’t worry I’ve learned my lesson.” He said disappearing. Then reappearing within a minute. “Guys we got a problem.” 

 

“And that is?” Dean asked.

 

“Got a location on the Tuckahoe shooter, but it looks like they’re holed up in a major apartment complex.” Theo remarked.

 

Dean closed his eyes a moment. “Oh the hits keep coming.” 

 

Sam thought for a moment, “We’ll just have to draw him out of the building.”

 

“Second problem, it’s a her and her has got three children in the apartment with her.” Theo said with a disgusted grimace.

 

Sam shook his head. “Three little body shields.”

 

“Do you have a direct target line on this bimbo?” Dean asked.

 

Theo nodded, “Oh yeah, no problem there, she’s making no attempt from hiding her position. From the sneak look I got in she’s packing for bear, aside from her silver rounds she’s packing with several other firearms as well.”

 

Dean leaned back on the bed, “Mother of the month. Okay we know a good deal, we can tip off the cops in the area and have her taken out that way but that leaves the bullets open to their evidence locker. Or …or I don’t know. This is bullshit.” 

 

Theo looked a moment at the floor then spoke in quite tones. “I almost popped in and nicked it. It wouldn’t have taken much; she was wrapped up with the kids and well…”

 

Dean nodded, “That would’ve been great but you also put yourself at risk.”

 

“Yeah, seems like too many people right now are concerned about me breaking a fingernail.” 

 

“Theo…” The angel refused to make eye contact. “Theodorious!” Dean barked. Theo slowly looked up and met Dean’s eyes. “We are all too valuable, if you were in a position to take the shot then by all means, but we do this as a team, not as martyrs.”

 

“Yeah, okay. Then let’s go.” Theo said looking towards the window. “What?” 

 

“We just got stopped,” Sam said.

 

“And we’ve done these multiple road trips before. Come on we can do this.” Theo urged. Dean sighed as did Sam. They rose from the beds and gathered their gear up. Once it was loaded back into the Shelby, Theo popped out his key ring. “I’ll drive the first one.” Theo said hopping into the car. Sam and Dean exchanged looks. 

 

“Can we retire after this hunt?” Sam asked. 

 

“Let’s see we been on the road since wait 1985, it’s 2038, yeah I think we have more than earned the time.” Dean thought.

 

“You keep saying it but you don’t do it.” Sam noted.

 

Theo nodded as they pulled back into traffic heading southeast. “You two bitching about retiring again? Let it go, you’ll finally retire when they pry your cold dead fingers from your guns. And you’ll be very old men when you do.”

 

Sam looked over at Theo and shook his head, “Not me brother, I’m all for making this trip and hanging up my gun belt. I’m tired Theo, you can’t understand that yet because your still in your teenage years as an angel, hell, probably adolescent years. But I’m 51 Dean’s 56, Bobby was 80 when he packed it in, I don’t want to be that old and that wrapped up in the hunt.”

 

“Sounds like you given this some thought.” Theo said abruptly.

 

“We have, we love the road, and the variety the hunt brings, but at the same time, the older we get we gotta face facts the slower we heal and the slower our reflexes get.”

 

“What will you do? I can’t see you just sitting down and watching the grass grow.” Theo joked.

 

“What will we do…I think taking a trip cross country, revisit some old haunts, but not on the premise or anything to do with hunting, just a road trip.” Dean offered.

 

“Yeah I think I’d like that too. Especially if we can visit that little bed and breakfast we worked in Vermont.” Sam said thoughtfully.

 

“We can go wherever we want to; this is a road trip for fun and pleasure for a change. Not for hunting.”

“And if we meet anyone on the way with a problem?” Sam asked.

 

Dean shrugged, “Their problem not mine.”

 

They sat back then enjoying the miles that passed for a change the idea ripe in their minds that they were actually going to take some quality time to themselves. It was almost more than they had a right to hope for. They were out of Oregon in short order and through the state of Idaho, headed over towards Virginia. It was about three in the morning when the car swerved into the other lane that caught Dean’s attention. 

 

“Pull over now.” He ordered.

 

“Okay.” Theo agreed complacently.

 

They switched out and Dean started driving now, and on the lookout for a motel which this stretch of interstate seemed to be a desert of. He drove for the better part of an hour covering another hundred miles of road until he saw a Comfort Inn’s sign in the distance. He pointed the Shelby towards that and took off. They were in a comfortable room within the hour and in bed shortly after that, all of them road tired. There was no time given even to undressing they just fell in a heap on the beds and were quickly under. At some point in the night they each woke up enough to get out of their clothes and under the covers but it took a while. 

 

The main thing that would stick in Sam’s mind was the position of utter comfort and bliss on Dean’s face when he got up to strip. Dean was deeply asleep but he looked like a vulnerable little boy now. A sight which tugged at Sam who had always been the more emotionally bound of the two. At least the most emotionally expressive. They slept through the rest of the night and about halfway into the next day. They all woke on their own time frames and after a shower were ready for breakfast and then more road tripping for a purpose.

 

They drove for the better part of that day and into part of the evening when they finally decided to stop for the night. In the motel room they exchanged a look and then a look at the king sized bed. 

 

“That’s what I’m talking about.” Dean said with a grin.

 

“It has been a while hasn’t it?” Theo said with smirk.

 

“Just get nekkid.” Dean popped. None of the three had to be told twice. “There was a reason I booked this room as far down the hall as I did. Told the desk clerk I was dead tired and would pay extra for a room on a quiet end of the motel.” Then Dean reached into his duffle and brought out a black leather bag. Theo’s eyes popped and Sam just grinned wider.

 

“So who’s the guinea pig tonight?” Theo asked.

 

Sam and Dean both turned and looked at him with an answering grin of the sexiest evil. 

 

“Oh shit.” Theo muttered. Dean whipped out a ball gag and strapped it quickly on Theo who accepted as graciously as he could while he was forced down on the bed. 

 

The sight of the ball gag and the subsequent other toys got Theo instantly hard and pretty much primed Sam and Dean’s pump. Dean then pulled out the cat of nine tails and let the thongs brush Theo’s butt cheeks. 

 

Then he brought it up and down hard. Theo bridged and gasped out a crying around the ball gag. 

10 more stripes in succession came with that one. Satisfied with the way things were starting, Dean added a few extra to his butt cheeks and looked down at him and ran the tips of the thongs down his back, Theo groaned and nodded violently. 

 

So he got at least an even dozen stripes to his back. Sam at the start had got up to the head of the bed and pinned down Theo’s arms and shoulders. Theo looked up with Sam hard cock just brushing his eye lashes. He craned his neck and then moans around the gag. He wanted to badly to taste the precome that was drenching the head of his prick. 

 

Dean then pressed the lubed head of a dildo against his anus, and then with delicate grace he worked it into Theo. Who subsequently bridged and groaned. This was one of his favorites, about three inches thick and nine long. Theo was nothing if not accommodating to size and the bigger the better they’d found in their experience. Inserting the dildo was an exquisite torture for him as he was prepared he was also tender from the striping that Dean had given him as well. 

 

Sam reached down and snapped the release on the ball gag and played his cock across Theo’s swollen lips. He lapped and sucked greedily. Then Dean flipped him on his back and without preamble started lubing up Theo’s dick. Theo had yelped and bridged again as his back, now raw, came in contact with the bed sheets. Dean was totally unprepared to accept Theo’s cock but that was all right as well, he loved the burn of the cock stretching him out in so many wonderful ways. He rode Theo for several minutes and rode him roughly. 

 

“Oh God yes Dean. Right there! Oh shit dude you found my spots.” Theo said as he felt the dildo plundering his ass as Dean rode him. 

 

He moaned a little more, and then Sam straddled his face and gave him full access to his cock. Theo opened his mouth welcoming the intruder gladly. He tongued the foreskin and sucked greedily at the head and then cried out and lurched coming with some serious force into Dean, Dean was busy jacking himself while he rode Theo and yelped as he felt the boys cock shooting his come deep into him. It didn’t matter if it was Sam or Theo he could always feel their orgasm deep in him when they exploded. Theo then started sucked in earnest as Dean continued to ride his sensitive yet deflating meat. Dean cried out as his own ejaculation shook him to the roots. Then while he was busy sucking off Sam, Dean lifted his legs and slowly turned and pulled the dildo free. Theo moaned lustily as he did this then grinned as he felt Sam’s cock twitch in his mouth prior to coming. He lapped and sucked greedily at Sam as the load filled his mouth. Then finally Sam pulled back and got off Theo as did Dean who took the ball gag and dildo into the bathroom where after running some very hot water, sanitized the toys. Then putting them away he lay down on the bed satisfied and replete. The room smelled of sex and sweat, not an entirely bad combination but distinct. 

 

They lay in a content mass for several long minutes before any could think about moving anymore Theo was the first to speak as he looked to Dean and grinned, “You went easy on me old man.”

 

“I’ll old man you.” Dean shot back grinning as well.

 

“God your ass felt great.” He commented, Dean flushed a little at the compliment.

 

“Kind of like how your mouth felt.” Sam commented drawing a flush from Theo over that compliment.

 

“When you retire you won’t retire from this as well will you?” Theo asked concerned. 

 

Dean laughed heartily. “Not hardly love, not even likely. Between you and Sam I get the best fucking in 10 counties.”

 

“That’s a serious recommendation.” Theo offered. Grinning broadly Dean leaned back on his pillow and got settled for the night. Sam and Theo followed his action in shortly they were peacefully snoring softly. 

 

Morning came with its usual immediacy and as they each rose, showered, and prepared to settle on the final day of this road trip they breakfasted, and discussed plans. They sat in a huddle in the diner and were discussing the best way to approach the situation. 

 

“I say let Theo here, scout the building again, then we get a fix on the apartment do the job.” 

 

“Good idea bright boy but you’re forgetting one thing, she’ll probably be packing.” Sam commented to Dean’s plan.

 

Dean grinned, “So will we, stun guns or something like, so as not to injure her just get her out of the way for a few moments.”

 

“What if I can pop in grab the pistol and pop out before she has a chance to do anything?”

 

“Good idea Theo, the only problem with that is now we have a crazy mother in her apartment with 3 kids, and a hell of a lot of fire power.”

 

“That’s where you come in, as soon as I pop out you call 911 and get the cops out there to her apartment, say you suspect her of endangering her children. Whatever it takes to get them to come out, we scramble as soon as we got the pistol. Oh and you’ll probably want to park in a secluded area from the apartment, I mean she could go sniper on us.” Theo added.

 

Dean nodded as they finished breakfast and started the last leg of the journey. That particular day they drove for most of the day until they came to the cross roads in Virginia that went in the commons of Tuckahoe. Theo concentrated and got his internal GPS going and got them a residential district with apartment buildings. 

 

“Are you sure you want to do this? I mean we are not twisting your arm.” Sam said parking next to the dumpster.

 

“Just call 911.” He concentrated a bit more, “Evermore Apartments, unit 1510.” And he was gone. Dean quickly dialed the number.

 

“911 operator.

 

“Yeah I’m visiting a resident over at Evermore Apartments, and there’s some funny going on in 1510.”

 

“Funny sir?”

 

“Yeah I hear what sounds like gun noises. And she has children in there. Wait what’s that!” Dean said frustrated then leaned out the car window with the phone still in the car and fired off a starter pistol.

Then Dean hollered from his arms distance, “I’m getting out of here!” 

 

“Please sir remain calm we have a unit dispatched to that location.”

 

“Please hurry!” Dean said and hung up his phone. After a few moments they heard what sounded like small weapons fire and at the same moment a siren on the far streets. Theo popped back in and looked at them with wide eyes. 

 

“Drive.”

 

“Did you get…?”

 

“Yes, now just drive!” He ordered. They were away in moments. “She was wearing the pistol in the back of her pants at the small of her back, and I had a hell of a time trying to get near her to grab it and not alert the kids. Then when I did grab it she went berserk.”

 

“You didn’t get shot did you?” Sam said looking Theo over. 

 

“Near enough, caught a graze on my shoulder.” Theo said wincing as he showed the burned swatch of cloth. 

 

Dean drove hard and fast getting out of the initial district and soon back on the interstate.

 

“Six to go.” Theo breathed momentarily. Then Castiel popped in the back seat his face livid. Theo didn’t give him a chance. “Don’t say a fucking word. Not a word about what I did. I’ve done worse and faster, this was a hard choice but there were children involved.”

 

Castiel sighed deeply. “You can’t keep doing this. You are attracting the wrong kind of attention and there is talk of having you disciplined.”

 

“Bring it on. I’m using the talents at my disposal to save Angel life, if they got the balls to punish me for that, then bring it on.” Theo demanded. 

 

“Just be careful son, there are dynamics at play right now that are hot and heavy.”

 

“Such as?” Theo asked.

 

“Is this a private conversation or can anyone speak up?” Dean said from the back seat. Castiel was sitting beside him and Theo was in the passenger seat with Sam driving. “Have you done the math yet on this?”

 

“What are you talking about?” Castiel asked.

 

“Simple, you got that fucking stake, someone’s melted it down to cast bullets, you’re just thinking that there’s about a hundred of them fuckers out there. Cas, I’m no ammunition specialist, but I think I can say with certainty that you could get a couple or three hundred bullets out of one of those stakes.” Dean argued. 

 

Castiel was silent for a long moment, “You’ve touched on a sensitive area. We are combing the rest of them trying to find the person responsible for making these bullets.”

 

“So you do think that there’s more than just what was issued out there?” Dean confirmed.

 

“We’re almost certain of it. There is word that a hunter team in Alabama caught two shooters down there so the number is dwindling. Hunters are taking this seriously. But what you need to concentrate on is the manufacturer of these rounds. We need to locate them and soon. I’ve checked with Raphael and Michael, they’ve accounted for all the stakes except this one.” 

 

Dean thought long for a moment, “What are the chances they could find a substance to work like the stakes?”

 

“Small, it takes skill to manufacture those implements. They’re not idly created.” Castiel remarked. 

 

“You’re just taking into account that this ammo specialist is just making bullets. Depending on how much of the material he or she, let’s be fair, has left, they could use the material like in a jacketing process. Coat bullets in this material.” Sam opted as he drove a touch faster. 

 

“True, the resulting attack wouldn’t kill but it would seriously injure.” Theo agreed.

 

“So what do we need to do?” Sam asked quickly.

 

Castiel looked out his passenger window a moment and then spoke in calm tones. “Go home, stay there for right now. We will contact you when we have a relative location on the manufacturer. I’m sorry, there’s not much else you can do. Just be careful. Luckily you’re pretty much off the grid now, stay that way.” 

 

“You make it sound as if they would target us.” Dean opted.

 

Castiel looked at him, calm and cold, “How many other hunters has an angel for a partner?” 

 

“Good point. And with Bill and Charlie gone that takes two angel hunters out of the equation.” Sam said.

 

 

“About that,” Castiel started. “God has intimated to some of the higher ups that there will be a resurrection of some key angels to stand in this conflict.”

 

“Now you’re making this sound like war.” Sam said uncomfortably.

 

“It is Sam, it is.” Castiel shook his head numbly. “There are fringe groups here on earth that are not aware of angelic presence much less existence on earth. We have to go further undercover than before. Some have to abandon their vessels for new ones to keep their vessels safe. With these special bullets they can injure, maim and kill, with regular bullets they can irritate and they can kill the host if we are not careful.”


	3. Chapter 3

Then Castiel looked closer at Theo for a moment, Theo fidgeted a little under the scrutiny until the angel reached out and tugged open a collar button and pulled his shirt down some revealing the body armor.

“This what you’re looking at?”

 

Castiel’s curiosity was raised. “Yes what is that?”

 

“It’s called Kevlar, it’s a special type of fabric that is pretty much bullet proof. I figured most marksmen would scope us out and aim for the large part of the body mass hoping to hit the heart. This is just a little added insurance.”

 

“Good idea, ironically that become standard issue for any angel on earth duty.”

 

“It does work, I’ve seen the tests, and it’s worth the caution.” Theo mused.

 

Castiel tipped his head heavenward a moment, “I’ve got to go there has been a meeting called of my rank. I’ll report back as soon as I can.” 

 

Suddenly they were less one in the car. Theo buttoned his shirt back up and sat back looking out the window his thoughts taking several perilous trails as he pondered the situation that was presented. He realized that now the shooters would be more careful and that they wouldn’t be as lucky as they had been. There was also the chance that they might never find the manufacturer and if they did they had no idea exactly who or what this person might be. All that running through his brain, Theo suddenly felt very, very vulnerable and small. It was a measure of his personal courage to not permit his fear to show any more than it was. Dean turned around in his seat to look at Theo. 

 

“I can smell the rubber burning up here.” He commented about Theo’s deep thought look.

 

Theo shook his head and looked at Dean his eyes haunted. “I’ve never been the target of a hunt before, I thought that what we were doing earlier was going to make a significant difference, now there is the possibility that these goons may be better organized that what we are giving them credit for.

 

“Once again Crowley has lied to us.” 

 

“I wouldn’t say lied, more like intentionally mislead.” Crowley said popping into the back seat next to Theo. The angel looked at the demon and brought up his hand.

 

“You’re about two seconds from a smiting.” Theo said his anger rising palpably. 

 

“Careful boy, I know how it looks but I am not pursuing this fight against the Angels.” Crowley said carefully.

 

Theo smirked, “You’re also careful to intimate that you are not opposed to the fight.”

 

Crowley shrugged, “Business is business. You however want the creator of these bullets. I want something as well; maybe we can help each other out.”

 

“What could you possibly want now?” Sam said disgustedly from his position.

 

“I want you to kill someone for me. This person was an associate of mine but has gone AWOL. I know pretty much where she is, I just need the right person to tap her.” Crowley said confidently.

 

“Fuck off.” Dean said calmly.

 

“We will find this person, not your awol, but the manufacturer, on our own.” Theo said heated.

 

“I doubt that will be as easy as you think especially if he is convinced that movement is in his best interest.”

 

“Which you would undoubtedly advise him to do.” Sam said.

 

Crowley smiled slowly. “It crossed my mind.”

 

Theo’s hand shot out and grasped Crowley’s wrist, “It’s going to be a little difficult for you to order anyone about if your exorcised.” Theo concentrated slightly and Crowley’s eyes went wide. Then suddenly there was the smell of burning flesh and with a scream Theo released the demon.

 

“Don’t get overconfident boy.”

 

Dean growled from his seat, “You have worn out your welcome Crowley, go.”

 

“You are tossing away a perfectly good opportunity.”

 

Dean pulled his 45 from his belt. Crowley growled and disappeared.

 

“Are you all right?” Dean asked Theo.

 

“Yeah, I got cocky and tried to grab a demon, I forgot about their gift of hell fire.” Theo said looking at his hand, the reddened puffy flesh now smoothing into the tender skin that was there to start with. 

 

“Okay so we know that Crowley is playing us.”

 

“Imagine that.” Dean commented.

 

“But he’s willing to ante up information in exchange for a murder. But he doesn’t say why he wants her murdered.” Theo mused. 

 

They drove on a while then Theo stretching lay down on the back seat. Dean looked back laughed a bit was about to mutter something when he caught a flash of light from under Theo’s closed eyelids. He looked back to the front clearly puzzled.

 

“So where do you think?” Sam asked. “I mean I could pull us off at a motel or something but it’s early and we’re headed back west.”

 

“I don’t kn…”

 

“Houston.” Theo piped up from the back seat, “Turn around and head to Houston Texas.”

 

“Why?” Dean asked.

 

“There is a definite signal coming out from that area, once we get close I’m sure I can take you right to the place.” Theo said confidently.

 

“What kind of signal?” Sam asked taking an exit to get turned back south.

 

“Well, you know about radar and gaydar.” He said with a grin, “We angels can tune into a frequency, well some of us can. I’m picking up a strong signal from that area.”

 

“Could be a trap.” Dean offered.

 

“Wrong kind of signal, no this is something connected to those stakes and it’s in high quantity.” Theo said.

 

So Sam started back south on the interstate and after a few hours saw the exit for I-65 which he took and started on that leg of their journey. They pulled into Nashville just as the sun was setting and switched over, Theo drove now and got them through Tennessee while Sam napped in the back seat and Dean napped in the passenger seat. Theo had the radio on but turned down low just to keep him company. He drove them into Alabama before he called a halt to his rambling as he was getting tired. Dean woke as he felt the car come to a stop in a rest stop parking lot. It was about 3 in the afternoon. 

 

“Need me to take over?” Dean asked.

 

“You can if you want I just wanted a bathroom break and maybe stretch my legs a bit.” Theo opted.

 

Dean nodded and laid his head back against the window and shut his eyes again. He was just walking back from the bathroom when he heard the blaring of a big rigs horn. He looked up alarmed at a frightening sight. A truck pulling a tanker swerved into the rest stop, smoke pouring from the wheel wells and under the trailer. It all seemed to happen in slow motion. The truck barreled into the lot, hit the tail end of a Honda, then another sedan, broad siding the Shelby. Theo was horror struck and cried out.

 

“DEAN! SAM!” He ran down the slight incline and reached the car where he heard groaning from inside. He immediately called the 911 dispatch and was assured that an ambulance was on its way to their location. 

 

The truck had pushed the car several feet until it came to a stop next to a handicap ramp. The driver of the truck was slumped over the wheel; Theo climbed up and turned off the big diesels engine then checked the Shelby. The rear passengers side was crushed inward, the front passenger side was pretty well smash up as well. He could see Sam and Dean both were unconscious and bleeding. He heard a siren in the far distance and quickly stopped the profuse bleeding and healed Sam as the Ambulance pulled into the lot. Sam was just coming around and looked to be the worse for wear so he was Theo’s priority on the case. 

 

Dean was bungled up but his was mostly contusions or so it appeared to Theo. Next into the lot was a police car with a fire department rescue unit. They had to use the Jaws of Life to open the driver’s side rear door. Sam scrambled out much to the dismay and amazement of the emergency crew. Then they went to work freeing Dean from the wreckage. Getting his door open was child’s play getting him out would be a bit trickier. His right leg was pinned by the crushed roof top. After about an hour’s work they got him freed and on a backboard on a stretcher, Theo walked around the car and touched the lock on the trunk sealing it shut. Then he came back around and saw the wrecker pulling in as he was getting ready to board the ambulance. Theo reached out once they were in the ambulance and gently brushed Dean’s forehead. 

 

“It’s gonna be all right.” He assured Dean who was semi-conscious and staring for the moment.

 

They got to the hospital and Dean was taken into a treatment room where he was carefully checked over as was Sam. The doctors were amazed that Sam was able to walk away from the ambulance when Dean was going to be staying over a bit. It would seem that the impact put a stress fracture in both of his legs and there was going to have to be something done about that post haste. Theo saw to his admissions paperwork and then also care of the disposition of his precious Shelby. The doctors set the bones and put a pneumatic cast on for the time being. The fractures were not debilitating but would keep him out of action for at least a month. Something that when he was told did nothing to improve his already sour mood. 

 

It had come to light while they were in the treatment rooms that the driver of the truck had been brought in and pronounced DOA. Theo inquired and got the information that they had on the truck and the trucking company. So he quickly made a call.

 

“JB Hunt and Associates how may I direct your call?”

 

“Insurance Division” Theo said.

 

“Claims or …”

 

“One of your trucks just took out my car.” Theo said crossly. He was sitting in the treatment room with Sam watching the doctors working diligently over a fussing Dean. 

 

“I’m sorry about that sir, just a moment.” He was switched over and gave them the information he had on the truck, where he was located and what he expected to happen within a framework of time. Their insurance department assured him that he would be taken care of immediately. After hanging up Theo turned his attention to Dean, who was quite fussy.

 

“Ok so my neck is fine, I’ll probably have whiplash, legs are fucked up, but the rest of me is all right. I want out of here.” He demanded. 

 

“Sir please be patient the bone doctor will be in shortly to take a look at your legs and make a judgment call on them then we’ll get your treatment started. “ 

 

“Make it fast I have an appointment I need to keep.”

 

Theo looked ashen for a moment, and then recovered quickly looking at Dean. “The Shelby is totaled. I’ll go out before we leave town and clean it out, but…”

 

“But nothing, we keep that car; we’ll take it back to the yard and work on it. You’re not going to lose a perfectly good car.” Dean argued.

 

“That’s a good sentiment, but the frame was pretty well bent in the crash, you’re lucky to come out of this alive.”

 

“Listen to your brother sir, I just heard about the crash but from what I hear you should be in critical care. You were very lucky. Now if you’ll excuse me, I’ll go check on the bone doc for you.” The emergency room tech left the room and Theo sprung up beside the bed and laid his hands over each of Dean’s thighs. 

 

“Oh man that feels good.” Dean crooned. 

 

“We’re gonna have to look about another ride.” Theo griped. “I know it’s not the first line of an idea for a vehicle but I’ve had my eye on the new Jeep Cherokees that are out. They look good.”

 

“That’ll work for what we have to do, but I want your ride straightened out.”

 

“Dean the frame.” Theo tried to argue.

 

“Fuck that, we can fix that and she’ll be good as new.” Dean insisted.

 

Sam looked at Theo, “Give up the debate, he’ll win, we were broadsided years ago by a possessed driver, turned the Impala into a pretzel but well you see what it looks like now.”

 

Theo threw up his hands. “Ok I give up. We’ll try it your way, but don’t gripe at me if you take a look at it and run screaming into the night.”

 

The bone doctor came in shortly after this exchange and he looked over the x-rays and noted the hairline breaks. Nodding, he motioned everyone out of the room and brought in a portable x-ray machine. After a minute he came out fuming. He cornered the technician. 

 

“You brought me down here to see a guy who’s legs were showing a hairline crack. The only crack is the one in your ass. His legs are fine.” The doctor walked back in and deflated the pneumatic casts. 

 

“So you’re going to be sore, and you’ll probably limp for a few days but you don’t need me. What you need are some painkillers which I will prescribe and just some bed rest. Do you live around here?” He asked.

 

“No we’re out of towners.” Dean answered truthfully.

 

“Well then you’re going to be enjoying the hospitality of our unit for a day or so until we see how you’re getting on.” 

 

Theo stood and walked over to the bed touching Dean’s shoulder, “Will you be all right for about an hour.” He asked.

 

“He’ll be fine, you take care of what business you need, it’ll take over an hour to get his admissions pushed through but we’ll get you in a room proper shortly. Have y’all had lunch?” 

 

“Not yet” Sam interjected.

 

“I’ll have the charge nurse get with the cafeteria and have a couple of trays sent up. Just take it easy for a while.” The doctor turned and left the treatment room; Theo bent down and kissed Dean, then Sam, then looked at them both a moment.

 

“I’m going to go arrange us a ride, we don’t need to waste time. Then I’ll get back here as quick as possible. I promise.”

 

“Okay, just take care of business and get the Shelby cleaned out.” Sam said with a grin.

 

Theo walked out into the waiting room and asked the nurse for a telephone book, he looked up car lots and found one he was looking for. He called a cab and in fifteen minutes was on his way to Tucker’s Classic Autos. He arrived and got out looking over the lot, satisfied he paid the cabbie and walked the lot. A salesman came out to meet him on his walk. Theo took a moment and explained what he was looking for and the owner guided him over to a beautiful red Ford Thunderbird. It was definitely a classic, a 1969 model, cherry red, with actually a relatively large trunk area. He turned to the lot man.

 

“What are you asking on the Thunderbird?”

 

“That’s special; it’s got a fully reworked engine, runs like a scalded dog, really ramped up.” The salesman checked his PDA computer he was holding. “That one runs $49,995, I can knock some off of that but not much I’m afraid. You wanna test drive it?” The salesman offered.

 

Theo nodded and in a few minutes they were out on I-65 with Theo giving it a test run, satisfied they got back to the lot, he passed the salesman a credit card. “I’ll take it like it is.” 

 

“You sure about that? I mean you just run it out.” The salesman asked dubiously.

 

“Run the paperwork for me. I’m paying cash for it, so say $40,000 and call it good?”

 

“I can go $42,900 that’s the best I can do.” The salesman said apologetically.

 

“Run it. I need a car, ours just got totaled.” Theo said smiling and he looked over the ride. It would be better than the jeep, it would be easy to upkeep it was already tricked out, and the only thing he would have to do would be to get an alignment done. Whoever worked up the engine Theo had decided early on, more than knew what they were doing. The salesman and Theo walked back into the office where he ran the card through the reader and entered in the price plus the taxes and title charges. It was, of course, approved. This delighted the salesman, who immediately prepared the paperwork for Theo, passed him the keys, and got him set up. 

 

“You know if you got an hour or so to kill I can have it detailed.” The salesman offered.

 

“I appreciate that but I’d really like to go, I need to go clean out our wrecked car.” Theo said with a soulful look. 

 

It took nearly an hour to finalize everything but soon he was on his way to the impound lot where he was taken to the Shelby. He about cried when he saw the shape it was in. It looked entirely different out from under the front end of the big rig. He shook his head and muttered. There would be absolutely no way to render this car usable again, but he would have it loaded up on a trailer on their return trip and he would take it home with him. 

 

As it stood, he opened the trunk and put their duffel bags on the ground, then using some of his angel muscle lifted out a large plywood and carpet covered box which was his trick kit complete with shotguns, small arms, ammunition, plus the knifes, holy water, and all the rest. It fit, thankfully with a little squeezing into the trunk of the Thunderbird. 

 

He threw the duffle bags into the trunk and closed it. Then checked with the lot man and signed the paperwork to have it stored for about two weeks until they got back through. Satisfied, he started back to the hospital where when he arrived he found Sam and Dean still waiting for admissions to get him into a room, at the same time he found Sam on the phone with the legal department of JB Hunt Trucking. They would have an adjuster down that afternoon to take a look at the Shelby, and make a determination from that.

 

“Did you get a look at the baby?” Dean asked.

 

“The baby is an abortion.” Theo said sadly.

 

“It can’t be that bad.” Dean argued.

 

Theo pulled out his cell phone and pulled up some pictures he had taken before leaving the lot. Dean shuffled through them his frown becoming fixed. Then he shook his head. 

 

“You got a lateral and vertical bend in the frame here. It’s a wash. I’m sorry little bro, but the Shelby will make a nice ash tray.”

 

“It’s okay; I landed a classic for us to turn out on. You’ll probably bitch because it’s not a Chevy but I got a 69 Thunderbird.”

 

“You snagged a T-bird!?” Dean asked excitedly. “I’ll make an exception on my assessment. Now all I got to do is convince these people to let me the fuck out of here.”

 

“Language Mr. Winchester.” A disapproving matron of a nurse said entering the room. She was efficient, motherly, and would brook no nonsense. “We going to be moving you to your room in a moment. Admissions finally got everything settled. You got your trays from the cafeteria?”

 

“Yeah, no problem with that.” Sam said smiling.

 

“Good, they’re pretty fast that way.” She agreed. In a moment she was out and back with a wheel chair. She then walked around to the bedside and helped Dean to his feet, he grimaced as he put weight on the abused legs but was able to limp his way into the wheel chair. She motioned to the others and they fell in pace with her while she wheeled him through a maze of corridors coming out on a ward and then to a private room. “Don’t try getting up by yourself right now. If you have to get up for the bathroom or anything ring for a nurse. That’s not a request.”

 

“Yes ma’am.” Dean said meaning it. Strong women scared the hell out of him still. He was soon lying comfortably in the bed when another nurse came in with a pair of syringes on a small tray. She smiled at him and opened one of the alcohol swab packets.

 

“I need you to roll over please.” 

 

“You just want to do this to get a look at my well turned fanny.”

 

The nurse laughed, “Let’s see that makes 999,999 times I’ve heard that line.” She popped the two injections into his hip and helped him roll back over. “That’ll kick in shortly and when it does it will make you sleepy, don’t fight it. Take a nap you’ll feel much better for it.” Then she was gone. Sam and Theo looked at each other over the bed. Then all three took on the same expression, anticipation. 

 

“We can’t just wait around here, Theo, I hate to ask but can you recon that area for us?” Dean asked.

Theo nodded grateful to have something to do and without a word he vanished. 

 

Sam sat in the chair by the bed, “Well this is a familiar sight. One of us in a hospital bed while the other sits by the side.”

 

“Do you think that truck hitting us was a fluke?” Dean said crossly.

 

“Hardly, I already put two and two together on that and came out with a nasty result.” Sam replied.


	4. Chapter 4

Dean yawned a moment later and his eyelids grew heavier. He did try to fight sleep but eventually had to give in leaving Sam alone with him keeping watch. It was about an hour later that Theo returned all smiles. He walked around the bed and stood close to Sam. 

 

“Located the source, it’s in a suburb outside of Houston called Bellaire, got another housekeeping job in the burbs. Luck would have it though, they are not suspicious and not prepared and better yet, no one there is sensitive to angelic movement so we got several possible good things going into this. The house is a split level number, and it would appear to be solely for the use of harboring a distributor for the ammunition. I picked up a strong signal in the place so that got quite a bit of roundage there. How do you want to handle this?”

 

“Shit, let me guess it’s hemmed in on each side by a house.”

 

“Close, there are houses on both sides but there’s like 50 yards or so separating them.”

 

Sam thought for a long moment, “Can we safely torch the place hot enough to cook off the rounds and destroy them?”

 

Theo thought for a long moment. “We can, but I’d really like to clear the house of occupants if you don’t mind.” 

 

Sam nodded, “I’m in full agreement on that. Do they look like they are expecting a movement of anything?” 

 

“Nah,” Theo said, “That place is quiet. We could go in tonight and do it.” 

 

“Fine we suit up and do this job.” 

 

“You do it with angelic assistance and there’ll be hell to pay.” Castiel said appearing at their elbows. 

 

“Hi Cas. What’d you mean?” Sam asked.

 

“Simple, if you transfer in, or use holy fire, you’ll be found out. Theo the archangels aren’t playing on this anymore. If you use your power to affect this you will be censured.”

 

Theo sighed and nodded sadly. “Then I gotta do this the old fashioned way.” 

 

“Yep, you’re going to have to drive in for this one.” Castiel agreed. 

 

“That’s all well and good but with Dean down for the count right now it leaves kind of vulnerable.” Sam noted.

 

“He’ll be released tomorrow; if you take it easy on the drive out there shouldn’t be any problem.” 

 

Castiel motioned. Then he looked around. “Excuse me I’m being beckoned. I’ll check in later with you on this trip.”

 

Sam and Theo sat down across from one another and fumed silently. Dean slept through the night barely shifting in his position. Sam and Theo slept one on a pull out cot and the other in the recliner. In the morning there were three sore individuals. Dean was the first awake, he rung for a nurse and was told that there would be one along shortly. He waited, finally Sam woke along with Theo, Dean was looking a touch uncomfortable, and then he threw back the covers and slung his legs over the side of the bed. Sam ran around and helped him up.

 

 

“Bathroom now. I’m about to piss myself.” Dean said making his way to the door. Inside there was the sound of Dean letting his water flow and a relieved sigh. Just then the door opened and a male nurse entered. Sam turned and looked at him a moment.

 

“We managed.” Sam said tiredly.

 

“I was on my way.”

 

“And you would’ve had a bed to make up. When I say I have to piss it’s usually because I DO!” Dean barked. The nurse waited and helped him back to bed. The door opened again and Dean’s bone doctor entered. After a brief examination he nodded. 

 

“You’ll be sore for a few days, but I’ve got you a prescription to help cut the pain. Also, I take it you’re going to be travelling. No driving for you.” Dean nodded to each prohibition and restriction and then the doctor was gone, another nurse entering shortly after with some paperwork. “Sign this and we can start processing you out of here.” She told him.

 

Dean gratefully signed and in two hours true to their word Dean was sitting in a wheel chair waiting for Theo to bring up the car. When he did Dean’s jaw fell open with a gasp, he looked over the car with reverence and then slowly pushed himself to his feet and climbed into the back seat where he could stretch out while Sam took the shotgun seat. They were soon back on the road Dean smiling approvingly at the way the car handled and sounded. 

 

“You did good kid.” Dean complimented Theo who grinned in return. They made good time, getting through to the end of 65 to catch I-10 which would take them directly into Houston. The only concession that Dean made was stopping for a bottle of ibuprofen for the pain.

 

“You could get that script filled.” Sam offered.

 

Dean shook his head, “Oxycontin, I don’t think so. I want to be relatively sober when we go to make this bust and I won’t be able to do it doped to the gills with that shit.”

 

Sam sighed and they found a truck stop shortly where Sam picked up a bottle of the pain pills for him. Dean dry swallowed three of them and they were back on their way. Dean couldn’t get over the ride that Theo had lucked into; he was in lust and love. 

 

They were about 50 miles from Baton Rouge Louisiana when Theo decided to call it a night and get them into a motel. He got the room booked and parked as close as possible to the room. Dean fought off their well intentioned helping hands and managed to walk, if with a hesitant gait into the room. They brought in their bags and the first thing Theo did was to run a tub of hot water for Dean.

 

“Strip.” Theo ordered him.

 

“Oh man, I really don’t feel like fooling around.”

 

“Good cause neither do I. But you’re going to get in a hot tub of water, it’ll help those leg muscles knit, that and a secret ingredient I’ve added to the bath water.” Theo offered.

 

They helped strip Dean of his clothing then he hobbled into the bathroom yelping slightly at the heat of the water, but soon was neck deep in the tub. Sam was busy on his laptop pulling any and all data available, thankfully his laptop was secured between the duffel bags in the trunk during the accident, he pulled data while Theo sat in the bathroom with Dean. 

 

“I don’t need a nurse.” Dean argued.

 

“Yes you do, if you get too relaxed you could easily slip under the water and drown. That’s not going to happen on my watch.” Theo argued and it was probably just as well, when the water had cooled to near tepid, Theo helped him out and dried him off. 

 

He took a few tentative steps and marveled the soreness in his limbs was practically nil. He gratefully walked over to the bed and stretched out, and with little fuss allowed Theo to basically tuck him under the covers. It was just as well, in about ten minutes he was sound asleep.

 

Sam looked over at him, hearing his soft snores and he smiled and nodded to Theo. “Thanks.”

 

“My pleasure.” Theo said with a smile then a frown. “I know I couldn’t have helped prevent the situation at the rest stop, but I could have parked us better.”

 

“Don’t go there Theo, what happened, happened there’s nothing to be done about it now. Let it go.”

 

Sam ordered. Theo nodded reluctantly. “From my figures we should be there tomorrow afternoon, do we have a game plan for this?”

 

“We get in there and fire the place. Don’t worry about getting anyone out, if they make it fine, if not their tough luck.” Theo said coldly.

 

“Why the change of heart.” Sam asked.

 

“I took a look at the news reports yesterday, the Angel Warriors movement is not making much headway thankfully, but any headway it makes is too much. We need to nip this in the bud and this is one way to do it.” Theo commented.

 

Sam had to agree with that assertion. It was at least three more hours before they all lay down for bed. 

They woke early the next day, breakfasting and starting out on the final leg of this journey. Dean was able to sit up in the Thunderbird without discomfort now. They talked about how to light this fire and Dean gave them some pointers he’d got from an arsonist years before. Soon they were in Texas and even sooner nearing Houston. They stopped on the way at about three different places and bought the components for the fire bomb.

 

Once in Bellaire they quickly found the house and did a situational drive by, nothing out of the ordinary, they took the firebomb and put it together then Sam placed it in the trashcan just outside the back door of the house. They drove off then and waited. They didn’t have to wait long, from their vantage point several blocks away they saw the column of smoke and nodded, Theo cranked the engine and memorizing the neighbourhood layout drove quickly through to see the house now blazing with what looked like a family of adults gathered out in the yard and looking pensively at the house. Suddenly there was a popping sound and Theo sped up as rounds of ammunition started to cook off. 

 

 

“What about the surrounding houses?” Sam asked concerned.

 

“What about them?” Theo asked. “The ammunition was stored in a central part of the house, at least as best as I could see. The rounds may fire off but they’ll just go through wall board and 2 x 4’s before coming in contact with the brick facing on the house.”

 

“Still there is a possibility.” Sam started. 

 

“Sam, I love you man, but you worry too much. There’s a gad jillion possibilities of shit that could happen, doesn’t necessarily mean that it will happen.” Theo said quickly. 

 

“What I don’t get it that we’ve managed to knock out a handful of these people will little or no trouble. Doesn’t something about that seem hinky to either of you?” Dean said puzzling it out in his own mind.

 

“Yeah, it had crossed my mind, but we just haven’t stopped long enough for me to think it through.” Theo agreed.

 

“Oh there have been repercussions.” Sam said tapping on his laptop. “There have been multiple stories of this Angel Warrior group that’s making the news. Most are dealing with how they are basically becoming America’s first major terrorist group since the Klan.” 

 

“They are not our concern for the moment, that’s the work of the police, we got our hands full enough just hunting down these shooters.” Dean commented. 

 

“No, that’s not your major concern right now, it is a concern however.” Castiel said popping in beside Dean in the back seat. “How are your legs doing?” He asked.

 

“Better, just pisses me off about the Shelby.” Dean carped.

 

Theo jerked at the wheel a moment. “How do you think I feel, after all the work we put into that car.” 

 

Castiel looked forward a moment and then concentrated on Sam. “Sam concentrate your next search to California. It would appear that all but three of the shooters have been rounded by you or other hunters that have been put on watch these last three are on the move. Word has it that they are in California.” 

 

Sam nodded and started sifting the news feeds out of California. “It’d help a lot if I knew which part of the state I was looking at, California is pretty large.”

 

“Northern edge of the state.” Castiel supplied. “They are going for high country.”

 

“Charming.” Dean muttered.

 

“Considering the circumstances however, you’d be better served with going home for a little while.” Castiel notioned.

 

Dean looked over at him curiously. “And why is that oh great sage?”

 

Castiel ignored the sarcasm and looked up to Theo, “They know you two are travelling with someone who is psychically powerful to them that reads Angel, they’ll be gunning for you.”

 

Dean groused, “Great as if we didn’t have enough to be concerned about.”

 

Castiel nodded. “There is a great deal more that you should be concerned over, primarily is the influx of these civilian warriors which means demonic influence. I don’t suggest that you should strengthen your ties with Crowley however, use him as he has used you.” 

 

“That’s going to be a bit hard to do since Theo threatened him the last time he was around.” Sam mentioned.

 

“He was getting a little too cocky and then intimated that he would warn off the other hunters and the manufacturer, I grabbed him on the pretext of smiting him and he invoked hell-fire.”

 

“You got off lucky Theo.” Castiel started. “He’s become more powerful since his ascent to his place. More to the point he is cunning and ruthless, you’re going to have to match him in that which may mean playing dirty.”

 

Dean grinned and Sam grimaced. “Great we get to play dirty with a super demon.” Sam grumped.

 

“Who also has a nasty habit of trying to overhear conversations that have to do with him.” Dean pointed out.

 

Castiel noted, “I shielded our space before coming, the last thing I want is to give more information away about the specifics, especially to someone like Crowley.” The Castiel started rubbing his temples.

 

“Headache?” Dean asked. 

 

“No Joshua is calling us. Theo pull over to the side.” Castiel asked. Theo complied and he grabbed his head as if in pain.

 

“Ok Joshua we’re coming.” Theo muttered to the air. 

 

Then he drove a bit further until he came to an exit and took it parking the car in a department store lot. Theo grabbed Sam’s hand, Dean was grabbed by Castiel and in a wink they were in Joshua’s garden. They wandered through the acreage until they came up on four persons in what appeared to be a huddle. There was Joshua and God, which surprised Dean and Sam, along with Raphael and Michael. God turned and saw them approached and smiled gently. 

 

“Don’t worry Theo, no harm will come to your transport while you’re here.” He was assured.

 

Raphael eyed Castiel very narrowly. And God catching that attention elbowed the angel who immediately look chagrined. 

 

“Forgive me Lord. I just don’t forget having been held prisoner by holy fire too easily.”

 

“And I don’t forget being assumed dead too easily either.” 

 

Raphael flushed and looked down a moment. “Like I said forgive me father. I erred.”

 

“Well gentlemen there is an admirable job being done with hunting down these miscreants. However, we have a new kink in the works. It appears that the stock of dueling stakes has been raided. This is not known to the general population here, and I would prefer it that way, however, there are 12 stakes that are now missing. Someone is rebelling and I am having that angel hunted down. However that is not why I called you two mortals into this as well. My children you’ve done an admirable job over the years hunting down various creatures that are doing harm and disposing of them. Though your techniques border on the naughty quite frequently, and my goodness there is one who was summoned who is late.”

 

“Not late Lord, just befuddled, this is my first time visiting these domains.” Crowley said coming around the corner. 

 

“Very well, good to see you here as well.”

 

“I wish I could say the same.”

 

“Crowley you are in your position through my sufferance, do not make me regret that.”

 

“Sorry. I just take personal affront to having a junior angel attempt an exorcism or smiting on me.”

 

God looked at him a moment with raised eyebrows. “Would you rather I did?” God raised his hand and Crowley not only flinched but went to his knees.

 

“Don’t I beg you.” Crowley said contritely.

 

God looked at him severely. “I think you would agree that you deserved those two incidents.”

 

“With respect I don’t agree, but that’s neither here nor there. You want something of me, do you now?”

 

God looked directly at the demon lord who flinched violently under the directness of the gaze. “I want you to release Sam Winchester’s soul to him. Do that and you may accord some good will from my domain. Resist and you’ll find I can be a buggering son.”

 

“Very well Lord, though done under coercion I’ll agree to those terms. They still completed the job I had for them to do.”

 

“Which was?” Michael asked severely.

 

“Don’t get your feathers ruffled Mike old lad. I merely wanted someone out of the way their actions on their hunt took care of that matter though they don’t know it.” Crowley said grinning at Sam and Dean.

 

“Then you are free to go young man. Just be advised, I have Lucifer in a cage for a reason don’t make me expand that cage to include you.”

 

“Lord.” Crowley said bowing and then he vanished.

 

“That went off better than I hoped.” Joshua said after a moment.

 

The God turned his attention back to Castiel, Theo and company. “You four have a little more work to do before you can lay your burden down but I promise to you that your reward will be worth the trouble. Raphael the scroll.” The archangel passed a rolled piece of parchment to him and he to Castiel. “This is ancient but will help you locate the bearer of the missing stakes. As well as the manufacturer of the damned bullets. Time is on your side with this. Sam, Dean, when you return you will be refreshed in body and spirit, take this.” He passed them what appeared to be a large hip flask. 

 

“Holy whiskey?” Dean asked with a grin. Raphael looked scandalized that they would talk so in the Presence.

 

“No my child, water from the river Jordan, use it sparingly, it has healing properties. As for your legs they were healed when you arrived. You need the pain medication no longer. And yes you are on the right track to this place called California, keep on that track. You will have a harsh and hard time of it on this hunt but the results will be quite compensory. Go in peace my children, your service will not and is not being forgotten.”

 

With that they found themselves back on the interstate a few feet from the car. Slowly they walked back each lost in their thoughts, it was then that Dean did notice that he legs were not hurting. He grinned and turned his eyes heavenward a minute. Then he caught up with the rest. Theo got back in the driver’s seat with Castiel standing for a moment by the car. “I’m going to go ahead and see if I can pinpoint the location of these thieves a bit better.” And he vanished. Sam and Dean climbed into the idling vehicle and Theo took off grinning broadly. 

 

“What’s got you in such a good mood?” Sam asked Theo smiling as well.

 

“We just got official sanction from an unimpeachable source that we can hunt with whatever means are required. It means I can flex some muscle in this to help out.”

 

“Just be careful which muscles you flex.” Dean commented. 

 

“Oh that big muscle between my legs needs a workout so I hope y’all are ready when we stop for the night.” Dean rolled his eyes at Theo’s pronouncement and Sam laughed. 

 

Dean looked at Sam after the laugh. “You’ve been in an excessively good humour lately. What’s up?”

 

“It just feels good to be back out on the road jumping from job to job. I guess I missed that.” Sam replied.

 

“At least now we can jump from job to job with cash in our pockets.” Dean said with a grin.

 

Sam looked back at him, “Yeah and you didn’t even have to hustle a pool table to get it.”

 

“That’s something I need to get back in practice with, after all that’s a workable skill.” Dean said thoughtfully.

 

Sam shook his head, “Why bother, we are wealthy now, and it’s not like we’re plowing through the money we got. We can even afford to be honest on our jobs.”

 

“That’s something I have yet to get used to.” Dean replied.

 

“Dean, you can’t live a lie forever.” Theo said sagely.

 

Dean grinned now, “Maybe not but I sure gave it a run for the money.”

 

Dean sat back now content, as was Sam and Theo, they had a chance to run a job, carte blanch and there was supposed to be a reward at the end of it. Dean was wondering what all that was about as they cleared miles. 

 

Sam grabbed his laptop off the floorboard and opened it up about to so some work when he noticed that the battery was about dead. He looked up at the sky and then at the clock on the radio. It was going on five in the afternoon, he reluctantly closed the laptop and set it back down then concentrated on plowing his memory for the times they’d been to California and what they could expect. When suddenly he felt flushed, weak, and dizzy, then at the same time his entire emotional state was altered. He grabbed his shoulders shivering violently and bent over in his seat moaning, then it broke into a sob, finally a scream of primal rage. During all of this Theo had managed to get the car pulled onto the shoulder of the road again. He noticed how red in the face he was and felt of him, jerking back. 

 

“Oh shit.” Theo murmured. “We need to get to a motel fast.”

 

“What’s the matter?” Dean asked leaning forward and touched his brother pulling back with a yelp, he was burningly hot for the moment. 

 

“Crowley released his soul, the only problem is that he has been racked pretty much the entire time he was gone.” Theo said and Dean cringed inwardly.


	5. Chapter 5

Theo drove quickly now and finally saw a sign advertising a Best Western Motel 2 miles ahead. He floored the Thunderbird and the car lived up to its image as it almost flew the remaining 2 miles. He pulled off the exit and into the motel lot. Dean hopped out and went in booking them a room. He pointed Theo in the right direction and he drove to the end of the lot where there was a lone room that was surrounded by untenanted rooms.

 

“Told the clerk that we were on our way to a funeral and that we’d prefer quiet. She booked us a master suite down here complete with king sized bed.” Dean explained as he hopped out again and opened the room’s door. Then he came back to the car and opened the door to help his brother out, his skin was still hot but not that scalding hot it had been. They got him in the room and laid out on the bed with Theo running some wash cloths into cold water. 

 

“Strip him.” Theo ordered. 

 

Sam was still sobbing uncontrollably and shivering violently. His eyes were clinched tightly shut and he was otherwise unresponsive. Theo angrily walked over to the bed, tenderly washing down his face and arms, then his chest. 

 

“I –I remember everything.” He said with a shuddering breath. “Every single hour being tortured on the rack. That shit, Crowley set me up all right, he had Bella doing the torturing.” Dean grabbed him in a tight hug commiserating. 

 

Through his sobs he managed, “Dean, I sorry, I’m so sorry Dean, I never took you serious enough about, about what they’d do. Oh God.” He said with his heart sounding broken. They pulled him back on the bed and convinced him to lie down. Then Theo started massaging his arms, and then tried to work on his shoulders but was met with a solid mass of tensed muscle. Nothing he could do would penetrate that lot so he settled for just rubbing him down.

 

“Shh it’s okay, don’t do this Sammy.” Dean urged.

 

“No, Dean you understand, you know, the rack, the pit, Bella.” Sam was nearly incoherent at this point, babbling uncontrollably and getting worse. Theo looked on with pity for a moment and then took Sam’s hand. He fell back against the pillows. “What did you do?” Sam asked Theo accusingly.

 

“I put up a wall in your mind, your soul if you please. The evil that was done to you is a very distant memory now. Let it stay that way.” 

 

“They are very efficient in hell, how long was my soul split?” Sam asked. “A day maybe 2.” 

 

“Closer to a week.” Theo confided.

 

“Shit, no wonder I feel wrung out, that’s a hell of a long time by hells standards.” He groaned and he lay there trying to relax and not succeeding. “Theo am I supposed to feel like this?”

 

“Truthfully love, I don’t know, I’ve never dealt with anyone resurrected from Hell. I suppose that yeah, you probably are supposed to feel the hurt, the pain, sadness, loss, anger, all the negative emotions because that’s what Hell feeds on and what they work the hardest at bringing out in a person.” Theo replied.

 

Dean shivered slightly and nodded, “They do too good of a job at that.” He looked at Sam, “You gonna be okay Sammy?” 

 

“Eventually.” Sam answered solemnly. His sobs tapered off now, and he was starting to regain control of his emotions. He rolled on his side facing Dean and drew up shaking. “I remember everything Dean. All of it.”

 

“Yeah that’s the other side effect.” Dean said caustically. “I’d love five minutes and a bathtub of Holy water.”

 

“What the fuck would you do, eh?” Crowley said appearing on the far corner of the room. “You wanted his soul back, you got it, you took care of my little problem so I’ll be good as my word and help you take care of yours. But waste as little time as possible lads. You’re dealing with a paranoid little man here and he’s got some firepower with him.”

 

“Would you consider it in your best interest to have an inventory of those stakes?”

 

“Hell no, don’t know where I’d store them for starters, that metal is blessed ten times over, that’s why there are no demon kind working with these shooters, they couldn’t tolerate being in the same room with the bullets much less within touching distance.” Crowley answered and yes it appeared he was being truthful for a change. He dropped a scrap of paper on the dresser, “Thanks for the assist lads, ta.” He was instantly gone. 

 

Dean walked over and took the scrap of paper and looked at it carefully. The precise script read “Redding, California” and it also had some coordinates. 

 

“Good we have a city, state, and with any sort of hope a relatively precise location.” Theo said looking at the slip of paper. 

 

“Should we or rather you precheck this?” Dean asked hesitantly.

 

“It might be for the best.” Theo agreed and winked out. Dean stretched out and lay beside Sam running his arm under his brother’s neck and pulling him close. Sam allowed himself to be held in that fashion for several long moments. When he finally spoke his breath was a whisper on Dean’s neck. 

 

“I’m sorry.” He said carefully now that his emotions were back under a semblance of control.

 

“For what?” Dean asked confused.

 

Sam sighed deeply, “For not being stronger.”

 

Dean jerked involuntarily and he looked at his brother, “Don’t you even go there. You have every right to be tore up about being anywhere near hell, the fact that you remember the rack is bad enough, that you remember the events that took place, well, I’m here, Theo’s will be here, and for the next few nights until we get home, you’ll be in our care.”

 

“You make it sound as if I’m going to be sick.” Sam started.

 

Dean shook his head, “I’m talking about the nightmares, what you’ll have will be kind of like mine, furious, fast, and horrendous. I’m going to warn you up front about that.”

 

Theo suddenly popped back in the room covered in bracken. He started picking it off his clothing and pulling it out of his hair. 

 

“Got as close as I dared, no address these fools are set up in the high country, but I saw the way in and out and guys,” Theo paused. “You’re going to have to go in packing some serious equipment. The manufacturer has three goons guarding the property, they’re all stupidly armed with Uzi’s.”

 

“Great, Israeli noise makers.” 

 

“Yup.” Theo agreed with Dean’s assessment.

 

“Okay, do they look settled in or about to move?” Dean asked.

 

“Settled. They was smoke coming out of the chimney and a cord of cut wood on the front porch. Their vehicle in was a van, so there is a road leading in, you’re just going to have to deal with the thugs. Well, you or me.” Theo said fairly. Theo looked anxious for a moment then blurted, “There is one way we can deal with this and it would be well, for you two relatively painless.”

 

“What are you talking about?” Sam asked.

 

“I could leave you by the access road entrance then go in to the area and when I get far enough in go on full reveal. Their guns couldn’t harm me, and the angel killer bullets would be useless. They only work when we are in our vessels. My vessel would be momentarily abandoned with you by the roadside. 

 

“Okay let’s consider this as an option.” Sam said looking at Dean who nodded as well. 

 

“I think the option we need to consider right now is food.” Dean said sitting up. “Come on, it’s going on six o’clock, you’ve gotta be starved.” He said looked back at Sam.

 

“I wouldn’t turn it down.”

 

“Make that two.” Theo said. They left the motel and drove to a nearby diner where after ordering their meal they once again sat in a huddle. “Something else about this situation is that the goons are operating in fixed areas. I watched them, they walked one way in, one way out.”

 

“This means we go in on foot and watch for traps.” Dean commented. “This just keeps getting better.” 

 

They settled back then as their meals were served and ate in companionable quiet. Sam was still lost in his own thoughts. He looked at Dean after a moment.

 

“Did you bring the Verinol with you?” He asked.

 

Dean nodded, “In my pocket why?”

 

“I’m going to take one tonight before bedtime. We all need to be rested and I won’t function worth a shit if I get woke up with nightmares.”

 

“Deal.” Dean said nodding.

 

After supper they went back to the motel where they showered then stretched out on the king sized bed just comfortable in each other’s company. Theo found it a little unusual and voiced his opinion.

“Well this is different.” He said.

 

“How so?” Sam asked.

 

“Normally after a day like today we’d be fucking like bunnies.”

 

Sam laughed a bit. “I would tend to agree, but right now I just feel like some one on one time.” 

 

Dean smiled nuzzling his brother’s neck. “No complaints from me.” He sparked. 

 

“Nor me.” Theo opted. “Just making an observation.”

 

“It sounds strange to say but sometimes I’m as satisfied when we are just like this as I am after sex. Doesn’t mean I wanna go celibate, but like you said, it’s just an observation.” Sam said smiling now. 

 

Dean laughed and gave Sam a reach around, taking his flaccid manhood in his hand. “Good, I have uses for this.”

 

“Don’t worry I have uses for yours as well.” He said with a grin. “And we both have uses for yours Theo so don’t think you’re getting off lightly.”

 

“Sam, if there is one thing for certain, I never get off lightly.” He said accenting his words. They all laughed at the pun. “That’s the fun thing about being in a vessel, we can at least have sex. In heaven it’s a whole different matter when it comes to mutual sharing and caring.”

 

“Yeah considering according to all my teaching angels are basically sexless.” 

 

“Yeah bummer that.” Theo said then grinned, “But there are perks so I can’t complain.”

 

They lay there for several long moments just enjoying the company, not feeling any need to really express themselves sexually until Theo grunted slightly. 

 

“Ya had to get onto the topic of sex.” He groaned. Sam looked over and saw that Theo was sporting some serious wood. 

 

The sight of which tempted Sam’s own libido and started his own hardening. Dean was comfortable where he was laying but when he saw Sam at half mast, and Theo at full he grinned and grabbed a handful of Sam’s crotch and squeezed ever so slightly. Just enough to make his brother flinch in surprise. He then started stroking Sam who in turn was running his hands down the smooth planes of Theo’s well muscled body. 

 

They enjoyed this type of foreplay, spontaneous and filled with touching. Dean matched Sam’s strokes on Theo before he finally turned around in bed so as to immediately satisfy his personal need and he started to kiss and suck on Sam’s now hardened cock, Sam in turn was busy necking and making out with Theo like they were teenagers. They had their hands all over each other’s bodies in various and wonderful ways. 

 

Dean loved the sensation of throating Sam’s cock as always, the silkiness of his foreskin and the blissful texture of his shaft and crown. He let up long enough to get some lube from his pack and lubed up a finger and started an anal exploration of his brother. He was slow and gentle something that always turned Sam on and started his own sexual engine.

 

Then when he felt the anal muscles giving a little he took another finger and introduced to the mix, adding a touch more lube he proceeded to insert his fingers and scissor them deliciously. Sam was groaning and groping at Theo who was laying there eating the attention up in style. He hard cock now begging for some attention as well he turned in bed so that he was facing Dean who grinned at him. Sam had pulled his knees up to his chest by now giving Dean full access.

 

Theo started sucking on first one nut then another until at last he was licking them both and preparing to take Sam in his mouth. Sam was supremely loose now and was groaning for more when Dean carefully added a third finger to the exploration. Sam groaned and was not tightening down on him at all but welcoming the digits. He took Theo’s cock in his mouth and soon was ministering to it in his own wonderful way. Sucking and throating him feeling his cock hitting the back of his throat, knowing that he would pay for that later and right now not really caring. 

 

Dean was suitably surprised when he was able to pull his fingers into a bunch and get the whole lot slowly into Sam’s ass. His brother moaned loudly with this intrusion but it was a moan of wonderful delight. Sam in the meantime kept face fucking Theo as much as possible while Theo started to suck on Sam who was slightly less than fully hard right now. All of his attention focused on relaxing his ass. Theo took his cock and made face love to it at about the same rate that he was having his sex sucked. Sam therefore didn’t notice when Dean had inserted his hand just past his knuckles into his ass. And more to the point Sam didn’t mind at all, he was awash in wonderful feelings of euphoria. So much so that when Dean did brush his prostate with two fingers he was nearly singing with joy. 

 

Then Dean gasped as he felt the muscles of Sam’s colon pulling his hand inward. He paused momentarily not wanting to cause him pain but marveling at the flexibility he brother was suddenly exhibiting. Then he slowly started backing his hand out causing Sam to hiss a bit, but groan as well. Then he felt the tell tale tightening of the anal muscles, then the spasms which signaled that his brother was coming. Just as well because from the look of surprise on Theo’s face he was too. 

 

Dean was all the way out now and Sam was panting with pleasure. While Theo and Sam finished up with the 69 session, Dean got up, washed off his hand and returned to bed where he was pinned down by his brother and body kissed finally ending up at his crotch where Sam slowly and with great pleasure gave his brother what he at least would consider a blow job to end all blow jobs. Theo slid over in bed and he and Dean began making out now much as Sam had done with him earlier. This succeeded in getting Dean fully hard and pounding. Sam’s deep throating of his cock didn’t help matters either. But he tried to hold on and failed spectacularly by exploding in orgasm just moments later. 

 

It took a bit of shifting but they were soon all back in their respective positions on the bed with Sam shifting a touch uncomfortably. 

 

“Sore?” Dean asked with a trace of a smile in his voice.

 

“Uh yeah a little, why?” Then he shifted a bit more, “Feels like I was fucked with a telephone pole.”

 

“No just your first experience in fisting.” Dean said with a grin.

 

“You’re kidding!” Sam said startled.

 

“Nope, I was there to see it, he was past his knuckles in you.” Theo said with a grin of his own.

 

“Holy shit.” Sam exclaimed.

 

Theo laughed out loud now and shook his head, “No just the mundane kind.” They all lay back immensely relaxed and slowly the drifted off one by one, with Sam forgetting to take the asked for medication. 

 

Still it was a surprise when about an hour later Dean and Theo were awakened by Sam thrashing in his sleep, crying out, his eyes clenched shut, tears leaking from the edges then suddenly he sat up in bed, Dean clamping a hand around his mouth as he let out a scream. His eyes were wide and his body covered in a sheen of cold sweat. He slowly lay back down this time taking the proffered pill, now that it was remembered. Dean and Theo stroked his arms and chest, calming him down finally. 

 

He shook his head as if to clear it. The he burst into terrified tears as the memories came flooding back to him, suddenly he vaulted over Theo stumbling and barely making it to the bathroom in time to become violently ill. He threw up until he was dry heaving. Dean waited until he’d got his system cleared, rinsed his mouth and then returned to bed. He passed him another Verinol and nodded.

 

“Go ahead, you barely got that other one down when your nerves caused that explosion.” 

 

He swallowed the capsule with a glass of water then lay back down. He was pulled down onto the bed in a cuddle and he submitted to the ministrations of his brothers.

 

“I’m sorry I woke you.” He said to both Dean and Theo. 

 

“Hey bro, after you putting up with me, you wake me up whenever you need to, okay?” Dean said sternly. 

 

Sam nodded numbly and then looked at Theo who smiled, which said volumes. After about an hour he was able to drift off again as were they all. The Verinol did the trick this time, controlling his dreaming impulses and sending him deep enough into sleep so that he could not dream. He slept through the rest of the night without further incident then he woke with the sun and dressing, he left Dean and Theo curled up in bed and stepped out. 

 

He wandered down to the hotel office looking for a newspaper and got newspaper and a cup of coffee, coming back to the room he sat down on the hood of the Thunderbird and sipped at the coffee while he looked through the mundane news trying to fill his head with useless facts and jargon to wipe the slate clean of the horrors he knew was buried. It was about an hour later that he saw the curtain move in their room and Dean cracked the door open sticking his head out. 

 

“You okay?” He asked.

 

“Yeah, better now that I had a cup of coffee. Don’t worry I haven’t been up all that long myself.” Sam noted. He stood up from the sitting position and walked back into the room and sat down in a chair near the window. “I just had to stretch my legs a bit.” He laughed humorlessly, “I guess it’s a good thing I quit smoking, otherwise I’d be up to my elbows in butts.”

 

“Never knew you smoked.” Dean said his brow furrowing.

 

“Tried it when I went to Stanford, thought it would help keep me awake, all it did was give me a headache and made me stink. It was a habit that was easy to break.” Sam noted.

 

Theo rolled over and saw Sam and Dean sitting up talking and he sat up slowly. “How’re you feeling?” 

Theo asked Sam.

 

“Tired, but okay.”

 

“You will that drug may suppress the dream cycle but it can’t stop the psychic effects that a dream may have depending on the depth of the dream.” Theo said then looked at both of them who were giving him a slack jawed look, “What? Dream’s I know about, drugs, nah.”

 

“Well what do you recommend Dr. Winchester?” Sam asked Theo.

 

“First off you compartmentalize, as much as possible your thought processes surrounding this event. Lock em away, yeah I know easier said than done but that’s the first step, next you want to be relaxed when you turn in for the night, and yes I know what we finished up with and yes you should’ve been like butter, but there was something there that was fighting it. Otherwise we can see about finding you a doctor to prescribe you something to handle the stress.”

 

“God no, I was chained to a pill bottle once, I don’t want to go back there.” He looked at Dean, “Sorry bro, I know that Verinol is helping you, and yeah it helped me last night.”

 

“But it’s just the thought of having a pill bottle hung around your neck?” Dean asked. Sam nodded. “I get where you’re coming from, but Sammy, this may not be an option for a while.”

 

“I’ll just have to tough it out then.” He said firmly.

 

“Sam, you can’t…”

 

“No Dean, I mean it.” Sam said with some finality.

 

“Ok, fine, I tried to help you. But the first time you wake me with one of your friggin nightmares, you’ll take the Verinol whether I have to shove it down your throat or up your ass. But you’re taking the damn pill.” Dean’s eyes were flint right now. His demeanor hard-edged.

 

They breakfasted and then loaded up leaving the motel and starting back on the interstate closing up on California. They all had a rough idea of what they were walking into and none of them were particularly like it. Dean griped that it was like Ruby Ridge in Idaho or that nutcase David Koresh and his camp. They all tried to bluff and bluster their way through the worst but they would be totally unprepared for what they would find. The closer they got however the more Theo’s plan made sense. If the group could be stunned or blinded into submission more the better, at least that was Dean’s mode of thought. So they rode along in relative silence for over an hour until Dean finally gave a fuck this grunt and leaned forward over the seat turning on the radio. 

 

“Too damn quiet in here.” He griped.

 

“Sorry I don’t have a running line of commentary to spew.” Sam said.

 

Then Theo in an uncharacteristic show of ire popped off, “If you two can’t do anything but carp at each other, then shut the fuck up.”

 

“Okay, who put the tight underwear on this morning?” Dean asked.

 

“Nobody but you two pick at each other more than any two brothers I can think of.”

 

“What’s really got your tits fluttering?” Sam asked.

 

“You for one!” Theo said harshly. “There’s a perfectly good solution to your problem and you have the availability and opportunity to take care of the situation and you whine because it’ll mean you’ll have to take a pill. Well boo-hoo princess, but that’s life as I have seen, you don’t always get dealt a clean slate of cards.”

 

Sam snorted and shook his head. “Theo you can…”

 

“Don’t you dare say that I can’t truly appreciate what changing your habits means. You think that I have stayed with you for nearly 30 years for sex!? I’ve stayed with you and lived a human life because I love you both. Now Sam tonight you’ll take that damn pill and shut up about it if it helps, if it doesn’t then we’ll work around that. And Dean you’ll quit baiting him for a while.”

 

“Yes sir.” Dean said his brow furrowed. 

 

“Okay, if it’ll shut you up about it.” Sam started.

 

Theo raised his hands above the steering wheel for a moment and then slammed them back down. “Damn it you cod knocking idiot, I’m trying to help you do something that will be GOOD FOR YOU. Quit trying to shuck the blame for this off on someone else.”

 

“I’m not trying to do anything like that.” He told Theo.

 

“The hell you’re not. That’s all you’ve been doing, a lot of bellyaching over having to take a fucking pill.”

 

“Theo are you feeling all right?” A fourth voice in the car asked. Theo looked up and saw Castiel in the back seat next to Dean.

 

“I’m feeling fucking peachy Castiel, I’m just having to deal with these two.”

 

“And you’re just now losing your temper over them. My but you’re doing a better job than I did.” Castiel commented. 

 

“Hey we’re not that bad.” Sam piped up.

 

“And Lot’s wife didn’t get turned into a salt lick.” Castiel responded dryly. “Theo makes a fairly good point there Sam, if the drug assists you in having a good night’s sleep, then why do you fight against it so hard?”

 

Sam starred out the side window for a long moment not saying anything. He really didn’t know what to say, his phobia got started over 35 years previously when he was still a student at Stanford. It seemed to him that a lot of stuff got started while he was away from home. He knew that that much time between incidents should have wore off the fears but there was a part of him that it kept niggling at and it made him decidedly uncomfortable. 

 

“I just don’t like pills okay?” Sam said defensively.

 

“No, it’s not okay, considering that some of our ER trips you had to take pain killers and stuff by mouth. And you have no problem with popping an ibuprofen now and then. What’s wrong with this stuff?” Dean asked finally.

 

“There was a time when I was hooked on uppers, okay, there, you satisfied?” He blurted.

 

“That was over 30 years ago.” Dean started.

 

“I still don’t like drugs like that.” Sam said plaintively.

 

“Sam, Dean’s right, you’re beating up on yourself over something that is old history. I have hesitated to point this out but that seems to be an ongoing problem with you. You harbor miseries and use them as ammunition against yourself.” Castiel said quietly.

 

Sam looked back out the side window and studied the passing countryside for a long moment. 

“So it’s a failing of mine, shoot me.” He said.

 

“Theo,” Dean barked.

 

“Sir.”

 

“How far are we from California?” He asked.

 

“About an hour driving time why?” Theo confirmed.

 

“Good that means an hour of me listing off things that Sam has used as self-destructive ammunition.” 

 

Sam stirred. “Oh hell no!”

 

Castiel put a retraining hand on Dean’s arm. “Sam, let’s take a trip.”

 

“I would as soon stay…here.” Between the stay and here Castiel had transported them to Joshua’s garden.


	6. Chapter 6

They stood in the long rows of herbs and flowering plants, the scents given off were intoxicating. 

 

“I could stay here forever.” Sam said looking around and enjoying the view, “That was a dirty trick.”

 

“I said let’s take a trip, I just didn’t make the statement into a yes or no choice. You need this.” They walked among the gardens until they came to one of the many benches. Castiel sat down and Sam sat with semi-bad grace. “Remember that one trip that you and Theo took to take care of the drug manufacturer who was pushing poison?” 

 

“Yeah, if I remember right I got a righteous case of HIV to go along with that trip.”

 

“Yes and you had to take medication then as well.” 

 

“I didn’t have a choice. It was take it or die.” Sam said quietly.

 

Castiel looked out across the gardens a moment before responding. “Guess what? You’re in that same situation. You are required to take a medication that will help you side step this dream cycle of yours. If you fail to do this, and you will be calling the doctor when we return to get you a prescription for the medication. But for the time being yes, you need this drug. Sam, you’re not 20 or even 30 anymore, your heart is healthy but the stress you are talking about placing on it and your mind through the reliving of your hell time is considerable.”

 

 

Sam looked down at his hands a moment miserable now, “I was tied ball and chain to those AIDs Drugs then the same way with that anti-seizure medication, I’ve been off any medications for years and I happen to like it that way.”

 

“There’s a deeper reason that this and you know it.” Castiel commented.

 

Sam looked away stubbornly. 

 

“Acting childish isn’t going to speed matters along.” Castiel observed. “You’ve always been the healthy one, you’ve always been the one to watch out about your diet and everything else. And you have always been the butt of Dean’s jokes and you’re tired of it aren’t you?”

 

“What does that have to do with this?” Sam asked.

 

“You’re thinking that Dean is going to start harassing you about being a pill popper, etcetera, aren’t you?”

 

“It would fit his motives.” 

 

“And you think that he likes being tied down any better than you. Sam, you’re making far more out of this than what needs to be made.”

 

“Cas, the anti-seizure drugs even the AID medications were to treat in your face hard core illnesses. This shit is to treat something as simple as dreams.”

 

Castiel bent over and plucked a leaf from a plant and bruised it between his fingers. Sam got a whiff of the herb and then his eyes got heavy and began to shut. Castiel ease him off the bench and onto a bed of moss near the pathway. Sam drifted in his sleep not caring not thinking just drifting, then suddenly his quiet sleep was interrupted by shifting colours and shapes, noises and smells until he was in a moment back on the rack. This time Bella was prepared to use something a little more potent than just her knives to torture him with. She pulled a rod from out of a lava pit in the ground and dripped molten rock onto his exposed skin. He shrieked and bridged in pain and agony. Then it started to get worse.

 

Castiel monitored the dream cycle and after several minutes he reached out and touched Sam’s shoulder, “Sam wake up.” He called. Sam fought against the call for a moment and then slowly with agonizing steps he woke. He looked at Castiel and scowled fiercely. 

 

“That was a dirty, fucking trick.” He commented. 

 

“That will be your nights without medication, that thumping you feel in your throat is your heart beating at an incredible rate, the flush you feel on your skin is cold sweat of fear. You lay there and tell me that that is better than just bending and taking a pill.”

 

“Cas…”

 

“Sam you’ve got to bend on this. There is no other way. This time you truly do not have a choice and that is what ultimately is the nail in your side with this whole situation isn’t it? You’re not in a position of where you have a choice in the matter.”

 

“There should be a better way.” Sam said.

 

“Yes there should be and that way has been presented to you, so stop your arguing about this and do what is required. You will need to be at 100% to take on what is facing you. You can’t do that if you’re panicking about whether or not you have to take care of your body.” Castiel shot.

 

“You have a way of cutting through the bullshit.” Sam commented.

 

“You have a way of blowing something simple into a major trauma event.” Castiel retorted. “Go back to your brothers now and remember this kick in the ass.” 

 

Suddenly he was back in the Thunderbird with Theo and Dean his mouth dry and his senses sharp. It was then he saw that they were heading through some hilly terrain, and that the sky outside was darkening.

 

“Sam! Sammy!” Dean barked.

 

“I’m sorry guys, I was being a big wuss.” He said as Theo pulled onto the shoulder. 

 

“Are you all right?” Theo asked.

“Sure, how long was I gone?” He asked.

 

“About six hours.” Dean said still flummoxed. “It took Castiel six hours to kick your ass?”

 

“Evidently.” Sam replied. Then he ducked his head, “I’ll take the pills.”

 

“Glad to hear that, we are about three hours into California and should be at our destination probably in an hour or so, do you feel like tackling it tonight, or would you rather wait until tomorrow?” Theo asked.

 

Sam looked very embarrassed for a moment and then looked up. “If it’s all the same to you, tomorrow.”

 

“Sure, no problem.” Dean mentioned. 

 

“I mean we uh, we can go into tonight if you want.” He started, Theo pulled back on the highway and drove on a while longer until they came to the town of Redding and found a motel. After Dean booked them a room they broke to go to a diner for supper. They sat around quiet at first, eating their salads or rather Dean and Theo eating, Sam picking. 

 

“Ok, what’s wrong man? This is the first time I’ve seen you pick at a salad.” Dean said concerned.

 

“Just still can’t believe I made all that fuss over something so minor.” Sam said disgusted with himself.

 

“You’re scared about this trip, that’s all.” Theo said, as usual cutting through the bullshit. 

 

“Probably.” Sam agreed slowly. “I don’t know, there’s a lot on my mind right now, this trip being the least of my worries.”

 

Their main courses arrived and again while Dean and Theo dug into their plates, Sam made a token effort. 

 

“Okay Sammy, shove this attitude to the back burner and eat, you’ve not had anything all day and I would guess you’re hungry. So quit playing with you…oh God now you got me sounding like dad.” Dean griped earning a grin from Sam. “Well that’s a change.” Dean commented. “Now eat.”

 

Sam tried a few bites and found out when he put his brain on idle he was actually quite hungry. He started eating and then finished his meal and dessert something that Sam usually had to be talked into. Finally back at the room Sam took his cell phone and dialed a number reaching Dean’s physician’s answering service. He left a message with the service and hung up. In 10 minutes the call was returned.

 

“Sam. Doc Bollinger here, is something wrong with Dean?”

 

“Nope, it’s me.” He said, and proceeded to launch into his tale. 

 

“You know if I didn’t deal with hunters on a regular basis I’d have you committed.” The doctor replied. “Ok, I see what you’re saying. And yeah it sounds like you need the antipsychotic as well. But I want to do a full history on you before I just arbitrarily prescribe something.”

 

“Fair enough, we’ll be back in town in about 10 days, will that be all right?”

 

“Yeah, I’ll get with my nurse in the morning and get you an appointment set up and all, for now, go ahead and take one a night from your brother’s stash. If you notice anything strange or different with your body stop the drug immediately.”

 

“Will do doc and thanks.” He hung up the phone and turned to look at Theo and Dean. “Happy.”

 

“Actually yes, the up side is that you can take this just before you lie down and it’ll go to work or up to three hours before bedtime so that we can get some play time in.”

 

Sam held up both hands placatingly. “After last night.” He said quickly. 

 

Dean grinned, “Don’t worry you won’t be the focus boy tonight unless you just want to be.” 

 

“Thanks, I’d rather be a player.” Sam said looking around a moment, “I just want this trip to be over with.” He said stressing the ‘over with’ part.

 

Dean nodded his understanding, “I know this whole scene is fucked up.” 

 

Theo sat over to the side watching then he got up and nervously walked around the room. 

“What’s the matter?” Sam asked.

 

“Get up you two. We’re going in tonight.” 

 

“I thought we were going to wait.”

 

“Can’t” Theo muttered. “We gotta go in tonight.”

 

An hour later and they still couldn’t get a semblance of a definitive answer from Theo other than he demanded that they go in for the kill that evening. So following his sense of direction Theo drove them to down the country road to the logging road cutoff. They parked the car in a sort of blind and getting weapons started out on foot. They were soon deep into the back country when Theo halted them.

 

“Okay here’s where the light show is going to come in handy so you both need to face back down the path and don’t turn around until you see that the light is lessened. Trust me you don’t want to see what’s coming for these children.” Theo said mirthlessly.

 

He waited a moment then grabbed them by the shoulders. “Ok I’m going in and going in full throttle. You’ll know when it’s over and you can come up.” Sam and Dean started to turn when Theo stopped them and gave them each a deep, long kiss. 

 

“I needed that.” He said with a grin. Then spun them facing the opposite direction. Suddenly the pitch black of night grew in intensity. Sam and Dean covered their eyes and waited until they could hear the gunfire, then silence, after a moment Theo reappeared out of the gloom facing them his face was tired. 

“We got a problem.”

 

“How bad?” Dean asked.

 

“The guy that’s making this shit is a woman for starters, ok equal opportunity and all that, but she’s also got the house rigged. If we approach she will detonate it.”

 

“Great, just great.” Sam opined. “Ok we don’t have anything that we can launch at her.” 

 

“I wouldn’t be too sure of that.” Theo said leading them back up the path, then he stopped them and they followed his hand with their flashlights until they could see barely, a tripline set a few inches above ground level. They followed the line over to a claymore device was implanted in the ground facing the road. Sam snicked the line through with his knife and Theo turned the device away just in case. They walked up further and discovered a hidden set of spikes in the road. They found three more similar types of booby traps until at last they carefully rounded a copse of trees and was in line of sight with the house. They could see that it was a simple enough of a dwelling, not more than 300 square feet.

 

They noted the chimney in one corner where smoke was coming out and they could make out the woman through various windows from time to time. Dean got into a kneeling position and steadied his shooting arm. He waited until she walked by the window again and then fired. The three shots were thorough, they were meant to injure and cripple. They ran then towards the house and burst through the main door to find her crawling towards a table with a detonator sitting on it. Sam leaped over her and cut the wires, throwing the detonator out the shattered window. 

 

Suddenly the cabin was suffused with light, more than just the candles as three people entered the cabin then, Joshua, Rafael, and Michael. They silently gathered up the remnants of the stake, and the ammunition created with the stake, finally they gathered up what had to be a three more of the stakes. 

 

Rafael knelt. “Where did you get these?” He asked brandishing on in her face.

 

“Bugger off you fucking sod.” Her accent was rich and thick, not unlike Crowley’s. 

 

“Not likely, now where did you get these. I’m through asking politely.” 

 

The silence was momentary as the angel took the tip of the stake and placed it against a bullet hole in her blouse. Then he pressed it against her skin. Then into the wound itself, the woman screamed long and unending finally the angel backed off and looked at her. 

 

“If I tell you I’m dead.”

 

“Madam you are that already, whether you end up in hell or purgatory remains to be seen.” Joshua said moved by her scream. 

 

“Azaz…” Her voice faded as her tongue shriveled in her head and her eyes rolled back. 

 

“Azazel.” Michael finished, “Might’ve known, even destroyed that demon has a way of causing trouble.”

Dean looked at the dead woman and spun for the door making it in time to wretch his stomach up He spat to clear his mouth when he was through then waved to Sam and Theo.

 

“Let’s leave the buzzards to the kill and get the fuck out of here.”

 

“Don’t tell me you felt pity for her?” Raphael said.

 

“What I felt isn’t any of your goddamned business.”

 

“Language.” Joshua cautioned.

 

“It doesn’t matter, you have what you came after, we’re out of here.” Dean said walking out of the house followed slowly by Sam and Theo. Outside they were halted by a figure walking to them through the tree line. 

 

“I’m sorry it had to be like that Dean.”

 

“God? Yes, your angels have a funny sense of justice.” 

 

“She was creating weapons to kill my children, you wouldn’t do any less if you were a father.”

 

“Probably not, still.” Dean said grimacing.

 

“This isn’t the only weapon she’s made Dean, she was on the team that created the Croatoan virus. So her hands are not bloodless.” God said shaking his head sadly.

 

“She’ll be taking my place on the rack.” Sam said stoutly as he walked over to them.

 

“Yes I’m afraid so.” The Lord hung his head sadly. “Your reward is behind the house.” They walked together to the rear of the small house and found a box about half the dimensions of a coffin Dean noted. He opened the lid and exposed several ingots of gold to their flashlights. He slammed the lid back down. “Are you not satisfied?”

 

“No.” Dean said adamantly, “For us to get rich like this sucks.”

 

“What would you have?” God asked.

 

“If that woman can’t make it to heaven at least give her purgatory.”

 

“That’s a generous thought, however, Dean you’ve walked purgatory, remember back when your father died. You were walking purgatory then, is that what you would consign her to?”

 

“God, I’ve been on that rack, it is, pardon me, the pits and the shits, purgatory may be dull but it’s better than that.”

 

God reached out a gentle hand and caressed Dean’s cheek, “My lovely compassionate people, no I cannot give her heaven, for through her works she killed some of my children, but I will give her purgatory for you. And for you.” He waved his hand and the crate of gold vanished. 

 

With that they were left standing in a quiet yard, nothing except the crickets in the distance chirping. God, Michael and the others gone. Theo bent down and touched a small bit of kudzu that was growing near the house and in moments the house was completely enwrapped and covered by the vine. They gathered their gear and walked back to the car. 

 

At the motel they entered silently, just as silent as they were on their trip back from the site. Once in the room Sam crashed onto the bed along with Dean and Theo. They lay in a tumbled heap miserable with a spark of hope in that the woman’s soul was at least out of hell. 

 

“There has got to be an easier way to make a living.” Dean said quietly.

 

“That was a generous deed you did back there.” Theo retorted.

 

“Bobby would’ve probably rattled my cage for doing it.” 

 

Sam snorted, “Don’t be too sure. Bobby could be generous when he wanted. After all look at what he’s done for us.”

 

“Yeah.” Dean said quietly still.

 

That was when they noticed the envelope on the night stand. Dean sat up and looked at it as did Sam and Theo. Sam took and turned it over to reveal a blob of golden wax sealed with what looked like the carving of a bird in flight. He cracked the seal open and read.

 

“My dear Children,

You have done me a service by helping rid the world of those weapons, I have others around the land that are reaping their rewards, however, you were responsible for the deliverance of the creator of the weapons and through your mercy she has earned her place in purgatory. She may yet earn her way into heaven, which remains to be seen. However, for you, you will not go unrewarded through this. Your reward has been given you. Enjoy it; it shall be waiting for your return home. I may require service of you in the future, I may. If I do I promise to give fair warning.

 

Love,

 

God.”

 

Sam laid the card down on the bedside and watched as it turned into smoke and dissipated. Sam actually laughed a strange sound considering the mood of the room.

 

“What got your funny bone tickled?” Dean asked.

 

Sam quoted from an old television show, “This tape will self destruct in 5 seconds. Goodbye Mr. Phelps.”

 

“Oh, my, freaking God.” Dean said laughing as well. “That’s wrong on so many levels.” 

 

Sam shook his head and looked at his brothers a moment, “I used to think that, but maybe we are God’s Impossible Missions Team.”

 

Dean punched Sam in the thigh, “Don’t go there, that’s not funny.”

 

“It is actually.” Theo said grinning. “The Lord only knows that we’ve got some pretty strange cases over the past years, and you two had some weird cases to work as well in you days together.” 

 

They huddled close on the bed snuggling for just mutual comfort, Theo started rubbing Dean’s hand that was draped loosely over him. Dean smiled at that but didn’t interrupt him, so deep were his own thoughts. Sam nuzzled the back of his Dean’s neck, finding comfort in the short cut hair with its scent of soap and clean sweat. They didn’t play but started to drift off towards sleep that was when Sam woke up enough to reach into Dean’s pants pocket and pull out a bottle, he opened it and tapped one of the capsules into his palm giving the bottle to Dean who did the same and then closed the bottle. They got up grabbed a glass from the vanity and each drank and took their medicine. Theo was already stripping for bed as did Dean and Sam and soon all three were cuddled close on the single queen sized bed in a tight content bunch. 

 

The morning broke gray and cloud laden, Sam woke first and dressing went to the front office for a newspaper and cup of coffee, something that was becoming a habit of his. He came back to their room and found Theo and Dean stirring. He flipped the paper open and saw on the second page the house in question, but it was cinders standing on pilings. There was a short article which basically noted that firefighters were called out in the early morning to extinguish a blaze in the area they were in. The Fire Marshal suspected arson until his stirrings in the ashes turned up evidence that pointed to a self-inflicted fire. There was little else that was said. Dean looked at the article a moment and shook his head sadly. 

 

“There should’ve been another way.” He said turning to grab his clothing. He started dressing as did Theo. “Let’s grab a quick bite or better yet, what say we grab something we can take with us?” 

 

“Dean, can we just go…please?” Theo asked plaintively.

 

“Sure kid, let’s get packed up and get the fuck out of this town.” 

 

They drove then for the better part of a day and a half and finally reached their destination in Idaho, they turned up their street and started towards home. Dean got out of the car and stretching noticed that there was a light on in the front room. Looking at Sam he pointed. 

 

“Went off and left a light burning.”

 

“No I didn’t cut them all out when we left.” Sam objected. They walked up the drive and poised at the front door while Dean went around to the back and on a pre-given signal they each opened a door and burst in on two men resting one on the couch and one in the recliner. 

 

“Safe weapons Dean!” Sam said quickly as the two stirred and woke looking lazily at the incomers and smiling.

 

“Hi guys.” Bill said swinging his legs off the sofa and sitting up, Charlie sat up in Dean’s recliner. “Hear y’all been busy while we were gone.”

 

There was a massive group hug and reunion that went on for the longest time. They finally broke the hug and stood back looking around the room. Charlie moved to give Dean his recliner. And Bill scooted to one end of the couch to give the others room to sit while Charlie took an easy chair. 

 

“So God decided to resurrect y’all huh?” Sam said still stunned.

 

“Yup we got a fair shake of it, I just hope we don’t have to go through something like that for a while. I dearly hope we don’t have to. So what have you been up to?”Charlie asked.

 

Dean got up and motioned everyone to the kitchen and he broke out some beer. Then they returned to the living room where a combination of storytelling from all three brought the two angels up to date. 

 

“God said he was going to have a reward waiting on us when we got home. I’m glad you were part of that homecoming.” Sam said his eyes brimming. “Shit dude look at me.” He brushed anxiously at his cheeks. 

 

“Oh come on Samantha, you’re gonna get me started.” Dean said smiling. Theo couldn’t help himself every now and then he still had to jump up and touch them just to be sure they were real. 

 

“Well it’s a good thing he resurrected us when he did, you say that you saw three more of the stakes in that woman’s possession in California? That means there are nine more out there somewhere.” Bill thought out.

 

“Oh no,” Dean started. “We just got in from a hunt, we’re tired, and we ain’t going out again for a while. Let someone else take this baby.”

 

“Dean, look how quick you all rounded up the shooters, you got 9 stakes, hell, they may all be in one place.” Charlie said quickly.

 

“Maybe, but I want some quality time here with y’all for a while before we even think about hitting the road again.” Dean replied.

 

And so they passed between each other until well into the night breaking for a bit to go out to the Gearjammer for a bite of supper. Then they were back this time at Bill and Charlie’s place where the first thing they did was open some windows to air the place out a bit. Then they ran up the heat as the cool of the night got people in the house shivering. Charlie and Sam excused themselves to the kitchen to start some coffee. And Bill looked at both Theo and Dean, and looked long.

 

“We can go on this hunt knowing now how you utilized angel talents we can do this.” Bill said.

 

“I know you can but how about you just taking some time to enjoy being alive again first.” Dean said.

 

Then Theo went into depth describing how he tracked the stake and the ammunition. What he scented on and just how he managed to pull off his reconnoitering without getting hurt worse than he did. He had to admit to Bill and then to Charlie when called upon to repeat his tale, that he’d been incredibly lucky. 

 

“The stakes actually vibrate and their vibrations make a sound that we can sense. The harmonics are similar to our true voices.” Theo told Sam and Dean. Then he looked at Bill and Charlie, “Do you think we can home in on these frequencies?”

 

“I’d be willing to bet money on it.” Charlie said excitedly. “But instead of concentrating on that there are other things I’m thinking about so if you gentlemen would excuse us.” 

 

Dean looked at Sam, “Bill’s gonna get lucky.”

 

“Bill’s gonna get more than lucky.” Sam returned. They all laughed, then Sam, Dean and Theo excused themselves and went back up to their house. Sam was grinning the whole of the way and into the house.

 

“What’s on your mind?” Theo asked.

 

“Just good to see them again, and to see them so happy.” Sam sat down then and pulled his laptop onto the coffee table keying it on. While it was booting up Dean came through and yawning pointed towards the back. “Come on back, it’s late.” 

 

“Be right there I want to check something first.”

 

Dean went on down the short hallway, “Suit yourself he said as he pulled the coverlet and sheets back, Theo was already making ready for bed, Dean popped his pill bottle open and shook out a couple of the capsules.

 

“Damn, what’s taking him so long.” He griped, then he walked back through to the front part of the house where he found Sam sitting in shock staring at the screen. “What’s up Sammy?” He asked walking into the room and sitting down by him, and then he looked at the screen. 

 

It was their bank account and it would have appeared that someone had made a sizeable deposit to their account. Sam did some quick back checking and the deposit was made earlier that day. 

 

“We need to look into this.” Sam said finally.

 

“Uh yeah. A few dollars is one thing a few million, that’s totally different.” Dean said, then pulled Sam’s arm, “Put it up for now and come on to bed.” 

 

“Ah, always knew you just loved me for my money.” Sam said grinning foolishly. 

 

“That’s a lie, I love your mind as well, it’s just that your mind doesn’t have space for me to screw…well I can screw with it.” Dean said grinning maniacally. Sam grinned and leaned into him. Then Dean shoved his hand at him. “Here take your pill.” They each took their medicines with a long pull from what was left in their respective beer bottles. And then headed back to bed.


End file.
